


Long Live The King

by RazormusPrime



Series: Long Live the King AU [1]
Category: Strange Magic (2015)
Genre: Bog's backstory fic, Bog's father, F/M, strange magic au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-09
Updated: 2016-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-19 20:39:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 52,819
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4760216
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RazormusPrime/pseuds/RazormusPrime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The people of the Dark Forest and Light Fields work hard to rebuild not only a new goblin palace but bonds between the kingdoms. It won’t be easy with tensions created after centuries of war and the most recent tragedy, the Great Migration fire, which took hundreds of lives including Marianne’s mother, Queen Moira and Bog's father, Dirk the Dragon King. Bog and Marianne must do what they can to unite their people because an old threat is returning, eager to destroy everything they’ve worked hard to build.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Give My Life

**Author's Note:**

> Okay! I finally got the first chapter up for this fic! This fic will mostly center around Bog's past and also his father, Dirk The Dragon King, my version of Bog's father. This doof is my child, there are refs I made of him under my Strange Magic tag if anyone is curious. Some quick backstory on Dirk The Dragon King, he is a half fairy, half goblin, also known as a Dark Fairy from a time in the Dark Forest where more effort was put to improve relations until that fateful day were Dirk and the Dark fairies were wiped out and Bog had to pick up the pieces of the Dark Forest once he look the throne. 
> 
> Also if any of you have read, "Changing of The Seasons" I borrowed a quote from abutterflyobsession from The Laughing King (her version of Bog's dad) see if you can spot it! It's in this chapter. I recommend giving "Changing of the Seasons" a read its perfect as well as her other fics like Art School AU
> 
> Anyway, "Changing of the Seasons" is where I got inspired to give amber magical abilities but for my story the properties are different, you'll see when you read. Have fun and enjoy!

Nineteen Years Ago:

The glowing embers had leaped and twirled so fast in a fiery dance of chaos as the cobwebs ignited. A chain reaction went off instantly as the fire spread to the surrounding silky threads. What had once been a breath taking sight was now ravaged and consumed by the growing flames. The Dragon King maneuvered swiftly through the brier thorns, turning sharply as the fire spread in front of him and he searched for another path. He kept his head low and his mouth and nose covered in an attempt to keep any more smoke from clotting his lunges. 

With his free hand the King of the Dark Forest held out his staff, slashing away loose and burning thorns that blocked his way. 

All around him he could hear people screaming and howling. His people, the Dark Fairies, they were dying or they were already dead and there was nothing left he could do now except search and hope to find survivors. His hope only dwindled as he was forced to vault and dodge body after body. The Dragon King’s stomach rolled when he caught scent of the burning flesh in the air and he force himself to persist further toward the screams. He could only hope he could reach them in time. 

Things should not have come to this.

His people should not have had to suffer like this. 

If there had been any other option he would have looked for one but there was no time and there was no other choice. He had to act or watch more die for his mistakes.  
Then, the end of his staff, the weave that held the precious amber into place snagged onto a thorn, sending the King crashing to the ground. For a moment, he lied there in a daze and for a moment he could not hear the screams or feel the heat of the fire. 

_“There are better places to sleep than on the ground you know,” A rough voice nagged him as a small goblin woman stood over him, watching him, not at all amused that he could catch something if he stayed on the damp ground. Halflings couldn’t handle the cold like full blooded goblins could. They had too much fairy in them._

_“I am the King; I can sleep where I want, Love.” He replied firmly but couldn’t help crack a smile at his lovely wife._

_“Great use of power, Dirk.” Griselda rolls her eyes before she casually stepped aside as a blur of grey and brown darted past her_

_“Sneak attack!” Bog shrieked in delight as he pounced on top of his unsuspecting father._

_“Oh no, this one is eager to take the crown!” Dirk gasped out for breath the seven year old prince wrapped his arms around his neck neither in an attempt to put him in a choke lock or a hug, it was unclear. “Help! I’m being repressed!”_

The Dragon King let a small smile edge on his lips at the old memory before his arm began to burn, the flames tickling at his exoskeleton. Reeling back, he came back to his senses and he immediately grabbed his staff, yanking it free from the thorns before darting forward. 

He shouldn’t have let the staff distract him. Either the Life Amber wished to distract him to allow him a peaceful transition as the flames overtook him or it gave him a reason to keep going. He wasn’t going to die here. Dirk wasn’t sure how but he was going to come back to them, to his Griselda and his Bog Prince. He was going to get back home to his family, he promised them. 

What he had seen was not reality and his life had not been flashing before his eyes. No, the vision he saw was a memory, an old one, held within the Life Amber of the staff. The Life Amber was a collection of fused amber, containing a vast amount of memories and wisdom from the previous kings and queens of the Dark Forest. Amber had the power to preserve memories, emotions, thoughts and the like. The amber did have other properties but the preservation was the most important. It was key to keeping their culture, their way of life, preserved for generation after generation. 

One day the staff and the Life Amber would be passed down to his son. Dirk only hoped to be the one to pass give it to him personally. With his resolve renewed he ventured onwards, searching for any break in the flames. He knew he had to keep moving but his hope was dwindling. After he had gotten up he could no longer hear any screams or any sign that there was anyone left alive. Everything was muted by the roar of the flames. 

He couldn’t be the only one left could he?

It dawned on him that perhaps he would not be able to return to his family but if he could change things he wouldn’t have allowed any more innocents to die. He prayed that for those who died, that their deaths would not be in vain. 

The threat had to be eliminated and this was the only way.

Dirk remembered seeing the rest of the migration before the fire was started, they would have seen the fire by now and kept their distance. They’d stay away until everything was reduced to ash but how many of those already here would make it out alive?

Calling out through the flames and the thorns, Dirk tried to shout loud enough to be heard over the fire.  
There had to be someone left. There had to be. 

Collapsing to his knees, Dirk hacked and gaged the smoke becoming too much for him. Tears dripped down his cheeks, eyes burning while he tried to see through the thick smoke. His lunges ached for fresh air but there was none to be found. 

Looking up, Dirk could barely see through the briar thorns. High above him, the once pale blue sky was now shielded by a veil of darkness. There wasn’t though room through these thorns for him to fly out without spreading his wings. He no longer had the energy to attempt to climb out. Handing his head low, Dirk was just about to admit defeat when a sound caught his ear. 

For a moment, he thought he just imagined it before he heard another high pitch wail. It was a child. Without a moment’s hesitation, Dirk began to crawl towards the sound of the wailing child. Images of his own son flashed across his eyes as the child got louder and louder and he just hoped he wasn’t too late. 

…

Nineteen years later, minutes after the Goblin Castle began to collapse:

“Marianne! Marianne!” Bog called out, dodging past pieces of debris falling around them. A firm arm held Dawn close as he frantically searched for any sign of the fairy princess. 

“We have to go.” Dawn urged, yet her voice sounded defeated. Too much of the castle was falling apart around them. 

Bog sighed weakly in defeat, changing course as he tried to make his way out through the opening on the roof before pieces of falling debris blocked his path, startling Dawn as she cried out. Swiftly changing course, Bog tightened his grip around Dawn to keep her from slipping as he headed for the entrance of the castle. 

Fear threatened to paralyze Bog but he refused to let it hold him back and he kept going. He was not afraid for himself. He was afraid for Marianne, that crazed Fairy Knight had taken her out of reach with a bottle of love potion. Bog knew Marianne could take care of herself easily but if even a speck of that dust blinded her eyes she would longer be her.  
Bog was even afraid for Dawn, so innocent in this entire dilemma. If it wasn’t for him neither of them would have been put in this situation. As Bog weaved and dodged past pieces of the castle he had little time or the focus to notice that the amber sitting at the end of his staff faintly started to glow. He was much too occupied trying not to die. 

“Dawn!” Marianne’s voice cried out over the noise of wood cracking and splintering and Bog’s heart leaped when he could see her just outside the entrance. “I’m coming!”

“Marianne! Get back!” Bog yelled, swaying his staff, motioning to Marianne to get away from the collapsing castle. Of course, since it was Marianne she got closer just as the skull walkway at the entrance began to collapse. 

Bog reacted in a split second and he immediately tossed Dawn into Marianne’s open arms. In those mere moments, something peculiar occurred. Briefly, Bog’s vision hazed and he no longer saw Dawn being thrown toward Marianne. Instead, a fairy child was in her place, no more than five years old. Bog briefly flicked his eyes to Marianne and was surprised to see her appearance had changed as well. A fairy, with long brown hair and a few years older than Marianne took her place. She was injured, covered in several burns and her violet and rosy wings were covered in soot. 

Bog immediately knew what the staff was doing, it was showing him something. It must have been something important but apparently the bloody staff didn’t realize he was a little busy at the moment!

Reality suddenly came crashing back as the upper part of the skull threatened to crush them. Bog immediately grabbed for the teeth and roared as he used all his strength to keep it up long enough for Dawn and Marianne’s escape. No time to think about what he saw. “GO!”

Bog’s voice seemed to jolt Marianne back to her senses. She was momentarily caught off guard by what she had seen before she looked away with a grimace at the implications of Bog’s words. Go without me. 

Dawn began to sob and she tried to reach for Bog, not wanting to leave him behind but there was no choice. Not looking back at Bog, Marianne quickly flew back out of harm’s way with Dawn before a loud crack behind them made her jump. As the last of Bog’s strength drained out of him, the jaws of the skull walkway snapped shut, trapping him within. 

Bog cried out as the feeling of weightlessness overcame him and he began to fall. He could vaguely hear Marianne cry out his name before becoming muffled by the castle collapsing. As he fell, the amber began to glow brighter until Bog was cast in a bright orange light. He began to feel a shift in time again before flames licked at his arms and back but did not feel the burn, only a ghost of the pain. 

Patterns always reemerge as time passes and the staff can see those patterns.

Bog had seen this memory before, a lifetime ago, but not from this angle. He had never felt what his father felt during his final moments. Since when did the Life Amber get a cruel sense of humor? It had decided to show him this memory at this very moment. 

Did this mean he was going to die? 

As Bog fell, he hissed in pain as he felt the pain of thorns ripping through his wings. The vision began to mix with reality and Bog didn't know what was his pain and what was part of the vision. He wanted it to stop. 

Just before the pain overwhelmed Bog completely his mind lingered on the pain of his father’s shredded wings. There was something Bog never understood. His father knew flying through the thorns was dangerous. Was he desperate enough to risk the damage to his wings to the point the force shredded them?

Why did his father try to fly through the thorns?

Did it have something to do with that fairy and that child?

…

Bog didn’t know how much time had passed before he finally came to. When he woke up he was on the ground, surrounded by rubble and still trapped within the skull. Oddly enough, it seemed the skull had protected him from the bulk of the debris. Groaning softly, Bog tried to move but every time he tried to move an inch his body ached. Swiftly, Bog kicked away what remained of the skull and he collapsed onto the ground with a light thud. He hissed as pain shot up through his arm. 

Letting out a shaky breath, Bog inspected his arm, seeing his exoskeleton was cracked and damaged at some point when he hit the ground. 

At least he knew he wasn’t dead. Everything hurt too much. 

The warm orange glow of the Life Amber lying on the ground a few feet from Bog caught his attention again. He no longer felt the ghost pain; at least he thought he did. The memory of the flames that had taken his father and the other dark fairies lingered for a bit before it withdrew itself into the staff once more. 

Bog let out a soft grunt before he moved to pick up the staff and he used it as a crutch to lean on for support. He felt sick and he silently cursed the Life Amber, using every foul word he could think of. He very well would have thrown the blasted thing across the trench if he didn’t need it to help keep him upright. 

In a sense, the Life Amber was sentient since it was a collection of several generations of memories and emotions. So, really Bog had no say in what the staff showed or made him feel.He knew what the amber had shown him but he's never seen that part of the vision before. It was odd; to say the least and he was unsure what had even triggered it. For the most part, visions from the staff weren’t so…spontaneous when they chose to manifest. 

Then again, Bog has never had the castle fall on top of him and he took a moment to try to gather his strength. The castle crushing him definitely left a mark and more than one thing was likely broken. Still, why would it show him the vision of those fairies covered in soot? The woman who looked so much like Marianne but was not his Marianne and what of the child that was tossed to her? 

Marianne…

Bog was still unsure how long he had been down there. Marianne probably thought he was dead Bog realized; no that simply won’t do. 

Looking up at the chasm he fell through, Bog measured up how far he would have to go to fly out. It would be nothing if he was at a 100% but he had a long night, dealing with a crazy love dusted Dawn, then for most of the evening he had to deal with a crazy fairy Princess warrior and to top it all off he did have the weight of the castle crush him.

Least to say, it's been an interesting night. 

Sighing, Bog knew he had to keep the flying short and quick or he might not be able to make it out and he'd have to figure out how to walk out. He gripped his staff a bit tightly despite his earlier protests of it before he pumped his wings to get him off the ground.

That was a start but the ache only seemed to worsen in Bog and his staff felt heavy in his hands but he kept going. All he could think about was the look on Marianne's face. The pained expression she had even when she was forced to leave him behind to help Dawn. 

The memory of her face made Bog's heart flutter a bit but he was too occupied trying not to fall back into the chasm to notice.

He needed to get back even if he had to drag himself out of this hole that had once been his home. This home was gone now. It was long overdue that he found another really and his thoughts lingered briefly on his father. 

The last conversation they had was that his father wanted him to look for a suitable new home for them and their people. To show him when he returned from the migration but he never did come back did he? 

Well now it seemed he had no choice but to move now. Bog couldn't have his people homeless. 

Light blinded Bog for a moment as he cleared the edge of the cliff where the castle entrance once stood and he groaned in pain as the ache in his arm became too much. Dropping his staff just by the edge of the cliff, Bog held onto the cracked exoskeleton, part of him fearing if he let go he his arm would just drop to the ground.

Then, a chorus of cheers and applaud echoed below him, followed by several comments of, "He's alive!"

So they did think he was dead. 

The pain numbed Bog's mind but he tried to scan the area for Marianne as he landed on solid ground. His search come to a halt the moment Griselda tackled him, embracing her son. "My boy!"

Bog groaned painfully as the sudden moment aggravated his injuries. He was just about to ask his mother to realize her death grip before the small goblin grabbed his injured arm and started to drag him who knows where. Bog tried to protest about his mother mishandling his injured arm but he could only winced and hissed as his arm cracked and popped more than it should have. 

He was about to demand his mother to let go and to ask where she was talking him when finally saw her and his heart skipped another beat. 

There she was. Marianne.

Tough girl. 

Marianne was smiling; Bog could only assume she was at least mildly amused that the dreaded Bog King was being dragged around by his mother who was only half his height. Still, that bashful smile, the slight aversion of her eyes before she met his gaze once more made him think otherwise. Seeing that smile, the delight in seeing him alive made all of Bog's negative thoughts leave him. Thoughts that his home being destroyed, the vision his staff had given him left him. 

Everything just sort of melted away when he saw her and he couldn't help but smile back.


	2. Blue Eyes Ablaze

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post movie Butterfly Bog fluff it's so disgustingly sweet I hope you all have strong stomachs, there's some sisterly love splashed in there and a scene fit for a horror movie I've been told.
> 
> Have fun, enjoy.
> 
> Abutterflyobession, the fluff is dedicated to you ;)

A week since the fall of the Goblin Castle:

Bog inspected a small piece of amber, one of the many pieces recovered after the castle had collapsed. Turning the yellow stone in between his fingertips, Bog inspected it, looking for any cracks or damage that may have been caused by the weight of the castle. There were a few scuffs here and there but the marks gave it character and shouldn’t affect the properties of it once it was enchanted. 

This one was the one. 

He just knew it. 

It was the right size and it shouldn’t affect the weight of what he planned to craft.

Pushing aside the crate that held other various pieces of amber, Bog thought to himself that he should really be organizing through these for the library to have them stored properly. Yet, the task at hand was just a bit higher in his priorities list, so it could wait.

Working mostly in silence, Bog watched a warm glow beam off of the Life Amber, casting light across the smaller piece of amber until it too began to glow. 

He hadn’t done this in a while; there hadn’t been much need to enchant amber these days. Perhaps things will change now, so much already has, so it seems. 

The transition between the old castle to this new one was difficult to say the least. Thanks to Marianne and the volunteers from the fairies and elves, their burden was lightened. Search parties were established to look for anyone who may have possibly been caught in the debris while others searched for precious artifacts of the Dark Forest. This included the amber laying on tables all around the library, waiting for Bog to attend to them.

Several pieces of amber were blanks but those that were activate each held knowledge and history of the Dark Forest. Every member of the Court and the Royal family had their own piece of amber. Those pieces of amber that were here belonged to people long gone. Their very life and essence was preserved inside the translucent yellow stone so in a way it was as if they have never left. 

In the earlier days, these ambers were used to search for knowledge or wisdom but Bog has never found much of a purpose for these. The Life Amber on his staff was all he needed; it’s been enough to help him get by. Other pieces of amber were also used for various other tasks, such as healing or properties mixed, varying between each piece. 

Each piece was unique no matter how it was mined, that’s why Bog knew the piece he picked out was perfect. A small smile formed at the edge of his lips as the light died down from his staff but a warm glow remained on the smaller piece of amber in his hands. 

Now that this was done with, he should really get back to work, cataloging and repairing any more damaged amber. The task was dull but necessary but he was the only one who was capable of the task at hand. Luckily, now that time has passed, tasks around the new castle that required his supervision dwindled.

He really shouldn’t complain this has been his first moment of silence all week. No incompetent goblins to bark orders at or mushrooms to get into line. Still, they wouldn’t have gotten this far in such a short time without all the extra help, without Marianne. 

Turning the small piece of amber in his fingers, watching the small fire glowing from within Bog’s smile grew a fraction. Yes, this would be for everything’s she’s done for them and for him... 

Just as Bog was starting to feel at peace, he felt small fingertips brush up along his back. Shrieking at the electricity sent through the touch, Bog’s hands shot into the air. There was a loud thud as something crashed into the ceiling and horror immediately swept over Bog. Looking up, Bog could see the hole where the amber had lodged itself into the ceiling. 

“Oh…Um, is this a bad time?” Marianne winced, stepping out from behind Bog, folding her hands in behind her to keep herself from causing any more accidents. 

“Marianne?” Bog asked his accent thickening as her name rolled off his tongue, making him sound like he was coming out of the daze. 

“I’m sorry…” Marianne cringed, biting the bottom of her lip as she advert her eyes to try to make herself smaller, hoping it would make her disappear. “I didn’t mean to startle you.” 

“No, no, there is nothing to be sorry about.” Bog said quickly, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks and the tips of his ears reddened, “I…uh…hadn’t…expected it.” 

“Well, I certainly know your weakness now.” Marianne couldn’t help but giggle at Bog’s bashfulness before flying up to retrieve whatever it had been that Bog tossed into the ceiling. 

“Marianne, it’s alright, you don’t need to—“ Bog insisted, flying up to her to stop her but he hadn’t considered how close they’d be and their wings flapped against each other, knocking them off balance. 

“Whoa!” Marianne cried out, quickly reaching out to Bog and he did the same as they held onto each other to steady themselves.  
It took them a moment to balance themselves and they looked up at one another. Both of them started blushing brightly to see how close they were. After a moment of complete silence they couldn’t help but laugh nervously. 

“You’re nothing but trouble,” Bog teased playfully, leaning his head against Marianne’s, and brushing a strand of hair from her eyes.

“My middle name is misery?” Marianne hummed mischievously before reaching over to the ceiling to pull out whatever Bog had gotten stuck in there. 

Luckily, the little stone hadn’t dug in too deep into the wood and she plucked it out. Holding the small piece of amber in her palm, Marianne looked over it and cringed a bit, seeing there were a few scuffs in it. She hoped most of them were old before handing the stone back to Bog. 

“I hope it didn’t get too damaged…” She winced.

“No harm done. It gives it character.” Bog replied and he couldn’t help but smile as he wrapped his larger, clawed hand around her small delicate one, the piece of amber resting between them. 

Marianne intertwined her fingers around his and leaned her head back against his as she grinned. “Look at us. We’re so disgustingly sweet. If anyone sees us people are going to start to think we’ve gone soft. We’ve got our reputations to keep up, you know.” 

“I’m afraid it’s already too late for my reputation, so it seems.” Bog chuckled, stroking his thumb over her cheek with his free hand. “Ever since you’ve come along I believe.”

“Oh, just because I made you stop beating up your poor mushrooms doesn’t mean anything.” Marianne grinned wider. “You’re still the big scary Bog King.” 

“Hmph, are you quite so sure? My mother keeps saying I’m doing this weird thing with my face.” Bog explained as he raised one of his cheeks up. “That my lips curl up like this. She says I’m happier.” 

“Right, the scary Bog King can’t smile. No happiness either whatsoever can’t have that, no, not in the job description. What would your ancestors think?” Marianne smirked playfully before planting a gentle kiss on his nose and Bog’s face turned bright red before she snickered and flew down towards the door.

“What were ye doing? Creeping about?” Bog asked, swooping down and landing beside her once he got back to his senses. His face was still a bit red, Marianne couldn’t resist teasing him every chance she got. 

“Just came to check in on you. Wondering what you’ve been up to really.” Marianne replied with her back turned to Bog before she wiped around and handed Bog a cup. “And Griselda sends tea and said something about behaving ourselves.”

Bog made a face at that comment before he took a sniff at the tea. It was an old habit he could never quite break but he relaxed as he inhaled the sweet aroma of the tea. His mother always knew his favorite. Marianne studied Bog for a moment, watching his wings dip down as he relaxed before pouring a cup for herself. Taking his free hand, Marianne led Bog over to a few chairs nearby and they sat down to enjoy their tea.

“When I came in you were so focused on whatever you were doing you didn’t even hear me, not even when I walked up to you.” Marianne said as she blew at her tea to cool it. If she could sneak up on him so easily Bog had better watch his back. Who knows if she planned another sneak attack while he slept. “What were you doing anyway?”

“Um, oh nothing important!” Bog said quickly before taking a big gulp of tea, grimacing at the heat before he forced himself to swallow the hot liquid before he was force to spit it out. He prayed to the spirits that Marianne hadn’t noticed before he tucked away the piece of amber into a compartment at his side. 

“Alright, so, how long have you been down here? I haven’t seen you all day.” Marianne asked, smiling as she noticed him get nervous but she let it slide for his sake. 

“I’ve been attempting to look through and repair our inventory of amber. Some of them have been damaged and are in need of repair.” Bog replied nodding over to the huge piles and crates, “Wait, what time is it?”

There were no windows down in this branch of the new library and the only light down there was from the tear shaped glow strings hanging from the ceilings. There was no way for Bog to tell how much time has passed if he wasn’t careful. 

“Last time I checked it was past sundown,” Marianne replied and Bog made a disgruntled noise, but it came out sounding more tired than anything else, “How’d you end up with a job like this? No one else can fix the amber?”

“It’s a complicated process. Here, let me show you.” Bog replied before reaching over to pick up a damaged piece of amber from one of the crates. 

Marianne leaned in curiously as Bog picked up his staff and the large amber began to glow. She paid close attention to the damaged amber and her eyes widen a bit as the cracks on it began to fuse together. “Whoa…”

“When amber is enchanted it tends to gain wards to keep them from scattering. The wards on these pieces of amber are old, just as the stone, so several were damaged by the castle collapsing and they need to be renewed.” Bog explained, setting aside his staff as he gave the amber to Marianne so she could take a look.

“This is amazing! I know gemstones contain magic but I’ve never known that much about amber.” Marianne said, fascinated as she looked at the gem in her hands. The fairies had their own sacred gem with their own properties but this was beyond her. “So why is it important that you repair these? What kind of abilities do they have?”

“Amber has different abilities and they vary between each piece,” Bog explained, rubbing his eye a bit before looking over to his staff. “Some pieces of amber are more powerful than others. Their main purpose is to preserve the memories of the person they’re bound to.” 

“Is all your history in the amber? What about all these books and scrolls?” Marianne asked looking around at all the shelves, filled to the brim with hundreds of books either sitting on the shelves or in stacks on the floor. 

“There are some things the amber doesn’t preserve. Some of the scrolls are transcripts from several of the memory preserving amber.” Bog added before tapping the Life Amber on his staff. “This is the most powerful amber in the Dark Forest and has the most abilities.”

Marianne was about to ask Bog for details when she noticed his eye lids were heavy and he look tired. “Okay, time for bed but you have got to tell me what you just did with your staff and more about the amber tomorrow.”

Bog merely grunted in protest, realizing his own exhaustion but he wasn’t ready to stop working, he needed to finish this. “This needs to get done.”

“Come on you grumpy pinecone. The amber’s not going anywhere.” Marianne chuckled as she set aside her cup and took Bog’s hand, helping him to his feet as he set down his own cup.

Bog merely grunted again and said nothing as he let Marianne get behind him and began to push him him out of the library and up the spiraling staircase to the upper levels of the castle. In a weak protest, Bog leaned his weigh on Marianne which she retaliated by tickling his back again and he nearly fell off the stairs. 

After that, Bog stopped resisting and they continued onward in silence. On the way to the royal wing, Bog could see a handful of goblins, fairies and elves were still up and about, organizing and clearing the halls. A few people stopped and watched the small fairy princess push the taller goblin King but said nothing. They knew better. 

Still, Bog was impressed by all the work everyone has put in to make this place into a worthy palace. Just a week ago it was merely a hollow willow tree, standing tall beside a small creek and the field of briar thorns. A lot has changed since then and Bog couldn’t help but smile. Initially Bog had been resistant to accepting the Fairies and Elves offer to aid in the reconstruction but Marianne was a force to be reckoned with. She offered Bog no way to refuse. 

Glancing back at Marianne, Bog couldn’t help but smile; he really did appreciate all her support. She had helped organize for his people to travel to this willow tree, which happened to be a lot closer to the Fairy Kingdom. 

In reality, this place had been on Bog’s mind for a long time but his only distain for it was that it was too close to the border than he had liked, now not so much. Their old home may be gone but here they could have a fresh start. He found this place as a child for this very reason and his people needed this. 

What they also needed was for him to get back to work. 

“Okay, almost there!” Marianne grinned as they turned a corner, pushing Bog along as she went.

“I’m not that tired, I should really get back to work.” Bog protested as she glanced at Marianne, tempted to lean back against her to crush her but he thought against it, knowing she would haunt him from the afterlife and he very much liked her when she wasn’t crushed. 

Marianne stopped just outside of Bog’s bedroom door and spun him around, pulling him down to be at eye level with her. “You drive me crazy!” She yelled, shaking his shoulders back and forth for effect before she pulled him close for a kiss.

Bog tensed for a moment, feeling Marianne’s soft lips pressed against his rough ones before wrapping his arms around Marianne’s waist, pulling her in closer. He relaxed considerable as Marianne leaned against him as she deepened their kiss. Having someone this close was still new for Bog. The sensation of her being this close, this intimate was also still very new for Bog. He didn’t want to admit it but each kiss Marianne stole from him was as warm and passionate as their first. 

After a few more moments they pulled away for air, resting their head together as they watched one another. Bog was still not used to all this physical affection, like the tickling or the kisses or just having someone to hold on to, but he was certainly getting used to it. 

“Good night, sweet Boggy Woggy." Marianne teased and Bog made some more disgruntled noises. She would never let go of that ridiculous nickname Dawn had given him. 

"Good night, tough girl." Bog sighed, before leaning down to kiss his fairy once more.

“Remember, my room is down the hall so if I see a light on or any indication you’re working you’re going to face my wrath.” Marianne added as she pulled away.

“Right, get be sure to get some rest yourself.” Bog added, turning to head into his room but his hand hovered over the door knob. “Wait, where’s my staff?”

“I swear you’d lose that thing even if it was permanently glued to your hand.” Marianne sighed, though she couldn’t help but smile at Bog’s forgetfulness. He was more tired than he seemed. “You probably left it in the library.”

“Right,” Bog sighed before turning away from the door, walking past Marianne.

“Whoa, whoa, where do you think you’re going?!’ Marianne asked, planting herself in front of Bog to keep him from moving any further.

“To retrieve my staff?” Bog replied as if it was obvious.

“No, you just want to have an excuse to head back down there and get more work done. Then, before you know it, its already morning.” Marianne replied before pushing Bog back towards his room. “You stay here, I’ll go get it.” 

“Marianne, really you don’t have to.” Bog tried to argue before Marianne opened the door to his room before gracefully pushing him in. 

“Not taking any chances, Boggy” 

“Bog King.”

“Good night, grumpy pinecone King.” And with that Marianne closed the door and made her journey back down to the library, moving a lot faster since she didn’t have to push Bog around. 

In no time Marianne was back down in the storage area of the library and she quickly spotted the staff resting beside the desk Bog had been working on. It baffled Marianne neither of them seemed to notice the staff was left down here but she just shrugged and reached over to pick up the staff. 

The moment her fingertips brushed the length of the staff, the Life Amber began to glow and the room was engulfed in a bright orange light and everything burst into flames. Marianne cried out, startled as she dropped the staff, looking around quickly to figure out a way to put out the fire before she realized nothing in the library was actually burning.  
Looking down at the staff, Marianne was pretty sure she hadn’t touched anything to trigger this. Hesitantly, she reached down to pick up the staff, holding it in front of her like a shield. As she stood up, Marianne felt rough armor brush against her arm and her first thought was Bog and she was almost relieved. 

“Bog, I know I told you to stay upstairs but please tell me what’s going—“ Marianne asked before she looked up, expecting to see Bog and instead saw a man with an elegant fairy face. 

Marianne immediately jumped back, almost dropping the staff in the process and she instinctively reached for her sword, forgetting it was no longer there. Instead, she had to make do with Bog’s staff. 

“Whoa, who are you?!” Marianne demanded, not recognizing the man in front of her and not understanding why he looked so calm while they were surrounded by flames. He was tall, not as quite as tall as Bog and he wore goblin like armor while a dragon fly like tail dragged behind him. 

“Go.” The fairy face goblin spoke softly, his voice sounding sad and defeated before he appeared to fall back as the flames enveloped around him and for the first time Marianne could see his wings. They were dragonfly wings, but they were shredded, damaged beyond repair. 

Then, like a candle going out, the flames were gone and Marianne was alone in the dark.

“That face…” Marianne said softly, recognition hitting her. It was that goblin she had seen that day the castle collapsed, just before Bog had become trapped inside the deer skull. She had seen a flicker of him when Bog had tossed Dawn to her. At first Marianne thought it was just a change in the light but now she knew for sure it had been him that she had seen. 

Questions swirled through Marianne’s head and she needed answers. With that, Marianne exited the library, hugging the staff close to her as she quickly returned up to the Royal wing. The moment Marianne got to the door she hesitated to knock. What if Bog was asleep? She couldn’t wake him to bother him about something like this. 

Sighing, Marianne grabbed for the doorknob and opened the door as quietly as possible as she peeked inside. It was dark inside the room and it took a moment for her to spot Bog lying almost motionless on his mushroom bed. For a moment Marianne’s worries melted away when she could see the gentle rise and fall of Bog’s chest. Just like she thought, he was fast asleep. Her pulse, which had been racing ever since she experienced that strange vision in the library, finally began to relax. Marianne couldn’t help but smile a little as she moved closer to the bed as she leaned the staff on the wall adjacent to the bed so he would find it in the morning. 

Her questions would just have to wait until then. Bog deserved some rest. 

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, Marianne leaned down to give Bog one last kiss, hoping a quick one wouldn’t wake him. She smiled a bit when she heard him utter a small satisfied grumble before she got up to leave. 

Closing the door quietly behind her, Marianne sighed weakly as she leaned against the door. Her thoughts were like a storm in her mind and there was no way she was going to get any sleep any time soon. Thoughts clouding her mind she almost didn’t notice someone calling to her until a hand started to have in front of her face.

“Hello? Marianne!” Dawn yelled and Marianne jumped back a bit before quickly shushing her sister.

“Quiet down, Bog is finally asleep.” Marianne whispered as she dragged Dawn away from the door. 

“Ooh, I was wondering why you were standing in front of his room with that thoughtful look on your face.” Dawn giggled quietly and Marianne looked away as her cheeks reddened. 

“Did you give him a kiss good night?” Dawn asked once it was safe to talk.

“Dawn.” 

“Well did you?” 

“…Three.”

“Aww, you two are just so sweet!” Dawn squealed Marianne quickly covered her sister’s mouth and shushed her, fearing that somehow Dawn’s outburst would wake Bog. 

The look the Marianne gave her afterwards could only be translated as, ‘I swear if you wake him I will murder you and no one will find your body’. Still, Dawn couldn’t help but smile from beneath her sister’s hand. 

“So, I assume things are going well between you two?” Her voice muffled behind Marianne’s hand.

“Yeah, you could say that.” Marianne replied, “Can’t really think of anything on the top of my head that’s a problem.”

Dawn made a series of happy, muffled noises from behind Marianne’s hand before she hugged her sister tightly. 

“And now you’re hugging me, why?” Marianne asked, smiling a bit at her sister. 

“I’m just really happy to see you this happy after being grumpy for so long.” Dawn replied happily and Marianne couldn’t help but chuckle before she hugged her back. 

“Yeah, it feels pretty good…” Marianne said thoughtfully before pulling away to look at Dawn. “Well, sometimes it feels like I’m taking care of a child. I’m pretty sure Bog’s been pulling some all-nighters this week. So, I’ve made it my mission to make sure he doesn’t burn himself out.”

“That’s so sweet of you.” Dawn added, gently bopping Marianne’s nose. 

“I try.” Marianne added, bopping Dawn’s nose back, “So, how have things been with you and Sunny? You seem happy too.” 

“Oh, things are pretty much the same between us,” Dawn giggled, “Just with a lot more hand holding, hugs and kisses. It’s perfect.” 

“You guys haven’t been getting into any trouble have you?” Marianne asked before crossing her arms, “Like singing love songs and tormenting the goblins? I’ve been hearing a lot of complaints like that this week.”

“Hey, I’m in love, I can’t help it!” Dawn replied, shrugging helpless, “You of all people should understand!”

“I’m afraid I do understand.” Marianne sighed, she’s caught herself more than enough times humming love songs while she worked, “Alright, it’s getting late; you should probably head to bed soon.”

“What about you?” Dawn asked, puzzled.

Marianne briefly looked to the general direction of the library again. “I need to check something out real quick.”

“Alright good night, big sis,” Dawn replied, giving her sister one last hug before she started to fly off to the direction of her room. 

“Hey, Dawn wait a second? Can I ask you something?”

“Sure, what is it?” Dawn asked, looking back to Marianne, sensing her mood change drastically from how it had been before. “Are you alright? You look a little spooked.” 

“I’m fine, just a little tired.” Marianne replied, offering Dawn a forced smile. She wanted to ask her if she remembered anything from when Bog had saved them. Back when she saw that fairy faced goblin, his blue eyes ablaze in the fire and she immediately regretted even thinking about asking Dawn, “Never mind, it’s not important. Good night, Dawn” 

With that, Marianne kissed Dawn’s forehead before flying off without another word. 

“Goodnight…” Dawn replied, watching Marianne go. Though she couldn’t help but shake off the feeling something was wrong. Marianne was scared, she could feel it. She just didn’t know what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All that fluff was exhausting, during that entire scene I was listening to "Dauntless" by Chloe Bray if you guys want to be even more bombarded with feels :D
> 
> Ohh what was that vision Marianne saw? Who could this person Marianne keeps seeing? Keep reading to find out or feel free to comment and guess ^_^ Also, any theories to see what I'm up to? I gave a few foreshadows and I'm snickering evilly cuz there isn't enough context yet for people to catch it yet :D
> 
> Barbra I hope you enjoyed the fluff :'D
> 
> if that bottom note mentioning Roland is still there I don't know how to fix it I apologize if you have no idea what I'm talking about ignore me


	3. Something Old, Something New

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne and Bog have some breakfast and share some quiet moments. Marianne gets a little insight on the vision she saw but has more questions than answers. Bog is reunited with an old friend.
> 
> Okay! Enjoy the new chapter! Here's some more sickly sweet Butterfly Bog fluff :D

Marianne knew she wouldn't be able to get back to sleep if she didn't check out the Amber Storage room again. This was her third trip down there that day but she needed to be sure what she saw wasn't just in her head. 

She made her way through the impressive library again, gliding down the spiral stair case and she stood in front of the massive doors once again. She hesitated for a moment when she reached for the handle. Taking a breath, she braced herself and she opened the door. 

The room was dark, just how she left it. No fire to be seen. That was a good sign she supposed. Moving into the room, Marianne reached over to some glow worm strings, running her hands across it to reignite the light. Soon enough the storage area was well lite again with cool green glow. 

Looking around, Marianne saw again there was no sign there was ever a fire in there. The scrolls and Amber laid undisturbed. Now she felt a little silly, coming all the way down here to check something she already knew after the vision had disappeared.

Well, it wasn't like she could sleep anytime soon after seeing that strange vision. Glancing over to the middle of the room, Marianne could still remember the face of the fairy faced goblin. Maybe there was a chance she could find something about him in the scrolls scattered about. Marianne didn't have much to go on but if he appeared in a vision he must have been someone important. 

Based on what she saw he looked a lot like a Dark Fairy, a goblin and fairy half blood. She didn't think she's ever seen one before in person but it was a start. 

Walking to a wall filled with scrolls and books, Marianne tried to make out what each was about, trying to find anything on Dark Fairies. Of course, most of these were written in goblin text which comprised of different kinds of pictures, symbols and characters rather than actually script the fairies wrote in. 

She'd studied goblin text before but nothing this advanced. This was going to be a fun challenge, Marianne hummed to herself, determination flashing in her eyes.  
Soon enough, the search turned from minutes to hours and the tension looming over Marianne faded away. 

…

Early the next morning Bog stepped into the storage room to the sight of Marianne, curled up in a small ball, her wings wrapped around her like a blanket. Books and scrolls were stacked or scattered by her feet.

He really shouldn't be surprised by this. Well, he wasn't surprised at all, he really should have expected this when Marianne discovered the library. 

He shook his head, she was the one who insisted he get some rest and here she is fueling her fascination for stories by staying here all night in a dusty library. She would have stayed even longer if she figured out how the Amber worked but those books remained untouched in their crates. 

Moving to her side, Bog picked up the small fairy, trying not to disturb her while he moved her to a small couch nearby to give her some place better to sleep. She probably still going to complain when she wakes up when she feels the knots in her back and neck from sleeping on the ground. 

"Serves you right," Bog muttered softly as he set Marianne down, though he couldn't help but kiss her forehead gently.

Here he was scolding her only a moment ago, now he was being affection. She was making him soft and he was alright with that. 

When Marianne woke up she was vaguely aware of the blanket wrapped around her and the tip tap sound of something being moved nearby. She felt so cozy in this half-awake daze and she was tempted to fall back asleep for a smell caught her attention and her stomach rumbled. 

Yawning, Marianne cracked open an eye. She perked up a bit when she noticed a tray of food on a little table beside her. 

When did this get here? 

Looking over to the tip tap sound, Marianne could see Bog seated at the desk covered in Amber, busy at work repairing and mending them. 

“You played me.” Bog said without looking up at her and Marianne immediately knew what she was guilty of without Bog having to explain a thing.

“I know I told you to get to bed and seeing me here makes me look like I stayed here all night and it looks very hypocritical but I have a very good reason for being here.” Marianne winced as she twiddled her fingers together. Though, for a moment her drowsiness clouded her memory a bit and Marianne couldn’t quite remember why she decided to head back down to the library, it was too early. 

“Oh? Enlighten me.” Bog replied as he rose from his seat and easily crossed the room in a few long strides. Marianne just looked up at his towering form before the silence was broken by the sound of her stomach grumbling.

“Too early, need food…” Marianne whined helplessly, not being able to function well as she reached over to pick at her breakfast. 

“From the looks of it, you were reading some of the old texts.” Bog replied, sitting down on a chair beside her before he picked up the closest book. He skimmed over it leisurely, the goblin glyphs came to him easily. “You seem to enjoy stories. Can you read this text?”

Marianne’s eyes brightened as she bite down on a berry and she swallowed it quickly so she could answer. “I’ve studied a little of it growing up. The dialect’s different in each of these books and I’ve been trying to piece together what each book is about. It’s all just so fascinating!”

She reached over to take the book Bog picked out from the pile. She flipped through the pages, skimming through it before picking a page to translate. "Okay so this symbol here could be a recipe for goblin cuisine with cat tails but since it has this squiggle here it would change the meaning and talk about an old battle."

"I'm not going to tell you which one it is." Bog laughed and Marianne lightly smacked him with the book. "Though, your hunger might be clouding your judgment or you could be right. Who can say?"

"Uh huh," She rolled her eyes but picked up a piece of banana. Well, he was right with one thing. She was hungry. 

"Thank you for bringing me breakfast." Marianne hummed, grabbing Bog's collar to pull him down to kiss his cheek. "Not exactly breakfast in bed but I appreciate the attempt." 

"You came up short with this bargain. You were the one who slept down here." Bog chuckled, wrapping his arms around her before he pulled her on his lap, nuzzling her cheek gently. 

Marianne giggled, the small thorns on Bog's chin tickled her cheek and she gently hit his chest in an attempt to fight him off. "Back you savage beast!" 

"No, there is no escape." Bog replied, hugging her tightly, burying his head in her neck.

Marianne whined, "Nooo! My only weakness!" 

"I win." Bog chuckled in her ear as she slumped back in defeat, grinning as she gently stroked through the leafy fringe on his head.

"You may have won the battle but you haven't won the war." She countered. Turning her head to kiss the side of his head. "Now let go, I'm hungry."

"Fine, fine." Bog chuckled, letting go of Marianne, helping her sit up as they returned their attention to their meal. 

Marianne just noticed a second plate of food beside hers. It was covered in an assortment of odd goblin food. She couldn’t help but looked between her food and the goblin food. Her breakfast was mostly made up of brightly colored fruits and cakes. Looking at Bog's plate, she made a face. 

"Are those mushrooms?"

"Yes."

"But you sleep on a mushroom."

"And you sleep on a flower but you wear flower petals."

"That's different, the petals are treated to last longer. Besides, if you are hungry in the middle of the night do you just take a chomp out of your bed?" Marianne asked, trying not to giggle at the mental image and Bog have her a deadpan look. "Or do you eat the mushroom messengers that get on your nerves?"

Bog just flashed her a wicked grin, exposing his razor sharp teeth and she wasn't sure whether he was joking or not. 

Looking back down at his plate Marianne noticed it was piled on with different types of food. She looked up to Bog and back at the plate. "Are you really going to eat all that at once?"

"Goblins eat a lot." Bog replied with a shrug before scarfing down more food. 

"I've noticed. Well, you've certainly kept your figure." Marianne smirked, poking at Bog's side. His waist was so narrow she could wrap her arms around him and her fingertips would be able to reach her shoulders.

Bog made a face at her, his wings fluttered a bit to her touch and he looked around grumbling before flashing a mischievous smile. "I don't think this meal will fill me up, I think I'm in the mood for some butterfly." 

"Don't you dare!" Marianne shrieked before Bog crouched and pounced on her playfully. 

She easily dodged the attack, feeling the tip of his claws gaze her wings as she escaped his arms. She quickly took to the air in an attempt to get away, reaching for the staff and holding it in front of her like a shield. She had no weapon but that just meant she had to improvise.

"That's mine." Bog smirked, snapping his jaws playfully at her.

"It's mine now!" Marianne declared, moving in to strike him.

Bog easily dodged, ducking under the staff, he used his advantage of longer limbs to twist the staff from her grasp before he grabbed her from behind. “Gotcha!”

“Noooo!” Marianne shrieked, feeling Bog’s teeth gaze the top of her head but she couldn’t stop herself from laugh at how silly it would look for someone to walk in and see them now. Pulling her arm back, she briskly elbowed him in the ribs, knocking the wind out of him with an “oof”.

Bog flew back to get out of her grasp, letting go of his staff while he gasped for air. 

“Serve you right.” Marianne smirked, helping Bog down as they landed beside the table. She sets down the staff before pouring a cup of tea in hopes it would help his ordeal. 

Bog quickly thanked her before he downed the warm tea. Marianne watched him with a light smile. He was the King of the Dark Forest and she was the heir to the Light Fields and here they were acting like children.

Children…The flicker of a fire at the edge of her eyes suddenly jogged at her memory. 

“Oh! Now I remember why I was here!” Marianne gasped and Bog nearly choked on his tea, startled by her sudden outburst. 

Clearly his throat, Bog gave Marianne an odd look as he took another sip of his tea in hopes it would sooth his aggravated throat. “Alright, so why were ye down here?”

“I was trying to look for information about someone. I don’t know who but I know he was a dark fairy.” Marianne replied. 

“A Dark Fairy?” Bog asked, taken completely off guard. “Why?”

“Last night, when I came here to get the staff, I saw something. Everything was surrounded by fire but nothing was actually on fire.” Marianne started to explain, raising her arms to gesture around the room. “I freaked out a little and ran back into someone and I thought it was you but I turned around and there was this goblin. Well, he looked like a goblin, tall like you, well not as tall but he had a fairy face and blue eyes, like yours, and the entire time the amber on the staff was glowing like a star—”

Marianne tried to go on but before she could get another word out Bog started to choke on his drink again, startled by what she was describing. Marianne immediately went to his side, patting his back to try and help him cough up the tea from his lungs. 

“Are you two behaving?” 

Marianne looked over as the door opened and Griselda appeared, her voice calling out loud enough to be heard over Bog’s coughing fit. Marianne only gave her a helpless look before looking to Bog who was still in the progress of hacking out his spleen at this point. 

The small goblin woman regarded the two for a moment, partly curious what lead to this before shaking her head. Walking over to her son, Griselda gave him a swift slap on his back. The results were almost instantaneous as Bog’s coughing fit started to die down to a few raspy coughs and he could breathe again. 

“What was all that about?” Griselda asked, looking back and forth between her son, who was still trying to catch his breath and her potential daughter-in-law’s guilt stricken face for not being able to help as much. “Did you drink your tea too fast again or choke on your breakfast? The Dark Forest doesn’t need their king to die on them over a biscuit.” 

“Thank you for caring, mother.” Bog muttered weakly as he took a seat, finally managing to catch his breath.

“Anytime, mushroom.” Griselda chuckled as she patted her son’s back, this time being a lot gentler than she had been before. 

“Are you alright, Bog? I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you like that, “ Marianne winced, looking to her feet. 

“It’s not your fault, Marianne.” He tried to reassure, taking a deep breath. “I just hadn’t expected to hear this…”

“Am I getting grandchildren?!” Griselda shrieked excitedly. 

“MOTHER!” Bog roared, a clawed hand quickly cover his burning cheeks, completely mortified by the implications of what his mother thought they had been discussing before she walked in. Marianne cleared her throat, her ears tilting down a bit, her cheeks turning pink when she tried to look anywhere except at Bog or Griselda. 

“I can dream, can’t I? I’m not getting any younger!” Griselda argued, judging by their reactions she quickly figured her guess was way off point. 

“You will outlive us all. I can sense it.” Bog mumbled under his clawed hand. 

“Oh hush. So, what’d I miss then?” Griselda asked, looking back and forth between her son and her potential daughter in law. 

“Oh, um, I was telling Bog about this vision the staff gave him and I startled him…” Marianne explained, trying to gather her thoughts while looking up to meet Bog’s eyes. “I’m not exactly sure what it was but Bog seemed to know something.”

“Oh? That old thing hasn’t done anything interesting in a while. So what was it?” Griselda insisted, tapping the end of the staff with her knuckles. 

Bog was hesitant for a moment before he decided it was better not to keep secrets from his mother. She had a right to know. “She saw father.” 

“Father?” Marianne asked, remembering the man she saw, his sharp facial structure and the leafy crest on his head. The most telling thing had to be his striking blue eyes that lit up in the fire and despite the fairy face, she could see the resemblance was uncanny. 

“My Dirk!” Griselda shrieked in delight, startling Marianne as the small goblin woman took her by her shoulder, a wide grin forming on her lips. “How was he? How did he look? Well? Bog’s got his smile, doesn’t he?”

Marianne just stared at Griselda unsure of what to say. She didn’t have the heart to tell her the only smile she saw on Dirk’s face was a sad smile of acceptance as the flames enveloped around him. 

“Mom, please don’t overwhelm her.” Bog sighed, placing his hands on his mother’s shoulder but he couldn’t help but smile weakly. She always had this sadness in her eyes when his father was mentioned, this is the first time in a while she’s looked happy at the mention of him. 

“Right, right, sorry sweet pea.” Griselda apologized as she took a step back from Marianne and she looked up at Bog, placing a hand over her son’s larger one.   
Marianne still couldn’t find her words and she just watched the two. Bog looked down at Marianne and offered her a weak smile and she couldn’t help but compare it to Dirk’s. He did have his smile. 

“So…” Marianne cleared her throat, thinking back to what she saw. “You’re saying I saw your dad? The Dragon King…the same Dragon King from that story about the migration fire?”

“Yes that was him…” Bog’s smile dropped and he visibly winced. He was unsure what Marianne knew of his father, the stories were mixed outside of the Dark Forest. He had no idea how she would regard his father. 

Marianne’s eyes light up like the life Amber and she quickly started to pace and forth across the room, surprising Bog and Griselda.

"This explains everything!" Marianne muttered under her breath. "Well not everything, but it's certainly a start. No one in the Light Fields really knows what happened that day so this opens up something new, something to look into..."

Bog and Griselda shared a look before looking back the hyper fairy. Griselda motioned for Bog to do something now that Marianne's muttering and inner thoughts started to make less and less sense.

"Marianne, please calm down for a moment." Bog sighed, taking the hint, placing his clawed hands gently on her shoulders to stop her pacing. "What are you rambling on about, Tough Girl?"

"Huh? Oh sorry. Alright let me explain." Marianne sighed, taking in another deep breath as she collected her thoughts. "For most of my life the story about the migration fire was always kept from me, even Dawn."

"Alright." Bog replied, he expected no less that the Fairy King would keep such traumatic events hidden from his daughters. It was part of their arrangement. 

"Yes and we really didn't find out that much about it until we were old enough to understand what happened but the stories never sat well with me." She added, her thoughts whirling around in her head. "Everyone blamed the Dragon King but there were no survivors or witnesses to claim that he did set that fire like a lot of people think or why he would just go berserk and kill all those people, no offense." She winced. 

"None taken." Bog replied, offering her a weak smile. He's heard worse over the years through rumors. There wasn't much else he could hear that would hurt him to hear. He's heard it all. 

"Alright, so because the stories are so mixed it's was hard to say what really happened. There are too many unknowns. Based on what I saw back last night and even what I saw when the castle collapsed...there just has to be more to the story."

"Wait, you saw it too? The vision, just before I fell as the castle collapsed?"

Marianne stared at Bog and could only nod, "Do...You know what that was?"

"No, it was the first time I had seen it..." Bog sighed, trying to wrap around his head what the Life Amber was trying to say. 

"Do you have any idea what it was?" Marianne asked curiously. Bog just shook his head, he honestly couldn't figure out what was going on but he was going to find out. 

"Marianne, there is more to the story, a lot more than you think but…” Bog held onto her shoulders, puzzled by his strange little fairy but there was one thing that topped it all, “You…Do not fear him? My father?"

“Well, I was too young to remember what happened during that migration for starters and it was sort of kept hidden away for a while.” Marianne shrugged. What else was she supposed to think with so little facts around? 

“Atta girl, keeping an open mind. You’ll make for a great Queen I just know it.” Griselda hummed and Marianne couldn’t help but smile before looking back up at Bog.

The sadness in Bog’s eyes at the mention of his father threw Marianne off. It just reminded her too much of the absolution in Dirk’s eyes in his final moments. Still, it was odd how Bog essentially looked like a goblin version of Dirk, no doubt traits inherited from Griselda’s side. “Besides, you’re twice as monstrous looking as your father and I wasn’t afraid of you when you crashed the Elf Festival.”

“Aye, you were much too occupied planning to put my head on a stick for taking your sister.” Bog chuckled. 

“Which you fully deserved at the time. Nailed ya pretty good, didn’t I?” Marianne snickered, gently bopping Bog on the cheek with her fist to imitate their first encounter. 

“It was an excellent strike.” Bog hummed.

“You know exactly how to flatter a girl.” She grinned, stroking her thumb along his cheek and she started to get mesmerized by his eyes again. This should be illegal. His eyes should not be that blue and that hypnotizing to stare at. They were a secret weapon whether he knew it or not. 

“Is that how you love birds first met?” And the moment was shattered when the two realized they had forgotten Griselda was standing right there.

“He almost crushed my head with his staff.” Marianne added in, stroking her knuckles along his jaw before grabbing at his ear in revenge. 

“You’re never going to let me live that down are ye?!,” Bog protested, gently prying Marianne’s hand from around his wrist. Muttering under his breath he wrapped his larger hand around hers before leaning down to kiss her hands. His voice softened when he looked her in the eye and he said with all the sincerity he could muster, 

“I’m sorry, Tough Girl.”

“Apology accepted.” Marianne replied a matter-of-factly but she couldn’t help but blush at Bog began to stroke her hand gently. It still surprised her someone so tall and menacing looking could be a gentle giant when he chose to be. 

“Ah, young love.” Griselda sighed dreamily, cupping her hands together as she looked between them with a big grin.

“We’re getting off topic.” Bog realized, looking back down at Marianne. “Please tell me exactly what you saw. This is important.”

“Right, give me a moment.” Marianne took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. “It was strange. I just came down here to get the staff but when I picked it up, the room was on fire. Then, there was someone behind me and at first I thought it was you but when I turned around it was your father instead.”

“Did he say anything?” Bog asked. 

“He just looked up at me and told me to go…” She replied, looking over to where she saw The Dragon King the other night and she could vividly remembered seeing the sadness in his eyes. “Right before the fire separated us and then just like the vision flickered out like a candle…”

Marianne wasn’t sure if she should mention seeing his shredded wings, so identical to Bog’s it made her cringe to think Bog ever getting that hurt 

“Just like your father to be cryptic as ever.” Griselda sighed as she and Bog shared a look that Marianne didn’t quite understand. They both exactly what that vision was referring to.

“It can’t be an exact memory of that day, mother.” Bog replied to Griselda’s unspoken comment. 

“Seems that way, mushroom.”

“He’s never said anything before.”

“Maybe he always did, you just didn’t hear it.” Griselda shrugged. 

“But by the sounds of it the vision interacted directly with Marianne. It could be a warning.” Bog insisted.

“Yeah, that’s me, still standing here not sure what’s going on.” Marianne replied, waving her hands to get the two goblins’ attention. 

“Alright, I’m sorry. I told you last night a little about the Life Amber, yes? And I also mentioned before amber’s main purpose is to preserve the memories of the person they’re bound to.” Bog explained, hoping not to further confuse Marianne. “The Life Amber is a collection of personal ambers of past monarchs of the Dark Forest, fused together to form one crystal, gathering wisdom and memories as a new piece is added. The last wielder of the Life Amber was my father and what you saw was a glimpse of his personal amber.” 

“So…Let me get this straight. You’re saying what I saw was an actual memory of your father from the fire?” Marianne asked, glancing back and forth between the Life Amber and Bog. 

“Yes and no…” Bog sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s…difficult to explain.”

“So it’s like an interpretation?” Marianne guessed. 

“Yes, it’s difficult for people to assess memories from the Life Amber, especially outsiders since you aren’t familiar with the magic. It takes a certain level of skill to bring up a memory vividly.” Bog explained, his voice softening and Marianne took note of the sadness deepening in his eyes. 

“You’ve both seen this memory before, haven’t you? Does that mean you know what happened that night?” Marianne asked, gently intertwining her fingers around Bog’s.

Bog and Griselda share another long look and that’s enough of an answer but before Marianne could bring herself to ask for them to clarify a weak glow emanated from the Life Amber and she could hear a child crying. Looking around, Marianne noticed the door open and Stuff and Thang walked in.

“Was that you? Marianne asked puzzled, that sound couldn’t have been them, could it? 

The two small goblins just looked at her like she was growing a second head before turning their attention to Bog. They looked like that had something important to say and couldn’t get distracted by a fairy’s silly question.

“Sire, news from the excavation team from the fallen palace.” Stuff explained before elbowing Thang. “You can tell him.

“Huh? Oh, okay.” Thang replied, rubbing his side with a grimace.

“I’m waiting.” Bog sighed, his usual frustration was dimmed. He didn’t really have the energy at the moment to lash out at these two for their antics with so much on his mind. 

“Oh right. There are reports that the team found something important and you are needed to examine it.” Thang explained, attempting to stand at attention.

“Was the message really that straight forward? From the mushrooms?” Marianne snorted. They were still trying to work out the bugs for the messaging system. 

“More or less.” Stuff and Thang just shrug, “Do you want to hear what the mushrooms actually said?”

“Pass.” Marianne replied, knowing it would probably be something ridiculous. What was that one message that came through when she and Bog were trying to figure out Sugar Plum’s riddle? Something about roaches? 

“I’ll be back, Marianne.” Bog sighed as he walked over to retrieve his staff and head to the door. Though, he stopped just in front of Griselda and gave her a look. “Mother, please do not harass her by picking out baby names.” 

“You’re going to have baby?!” Stuff yelled loud enough the rest of the castle could have heard them.

“We can baby sit!” Thang added with delight.

“NO!” Bog and Marianne yelled.

“So we can’t baby sit?” Thang asked confused, though he sounded a little disappointed. 

“She’s not! We’re not—Aurgh!” Bog tried to explain but his face only reddened when he tried to look at Marianne before just throwing his arms up in the air, frustrated as he stormed out of the Amber storage room. He muttered and cursed under his breath, his accent thickening as he blamed Griselda for starting this. 

“It’s only been a week!” And with that, the King of the Dark Forest vanished, quickly followed by Stuff and Thang who trotted after him up the spiral staircase. 

The moment they were gone Marianne groaned, slumping down on a chair, covering her face, not daring to look up at Griselda. She could still feel the blush on her face when Bog took a quick look at her in his panic. She was just as mortified as him, not at the thought of having children, she actually never quite gave that much thought. That’s what was what probably mortified them the most. “I can just hear the rumors that would spread if you, Stuff and Thang aren’t careful, Griselda…” 

Griselda just laughed and gave the fairy a pat on the back, grinning when she would see the red in her cheeks between her fingers. “Don’t worry too much about that, rosy. Both the kingdoms are already placing bets to see if he’ll propose within a year.”

“You’re the worse.” Marianne grumbled, knowing full well that Griselda probably set up the bets and has the most money down on her bet. Marriage still terrified her but the thought of Bog being at the end of the aisle gave Marianne a sense of peace she’d never felt with he-who-will-not-be-named even though she and Bog were just starting to figure out their relationship.

_Whoa, Marianne. No more thinking like that._ She thought to herself, shaking the thought of marriage out of her head. Things were way too early to even think about that just yet. 

“Come on, Sweetheart, let’s head upstairs, it’s stuffy down here and you need some sunlight.” Griselda chuckled, taking Marianne’s wrist as she gently dragged her to the door. “You can join me for breakfast.”

Marianne wanted to mention she already eaten the breakfast Bog had brought her but decided against it. It couldn’t hurt to spend some time with Griselda. Despite her…charming personality, Marianne couldn’t help but enjoy the company of the small goblin woman. She found her bluntness refreshing in a way. Marianne found that she enjoyed spending time with her much more than anyone in the fairy court, that’s for sure.

“Alright, lead the way.” Marianne sighed contently, allowing Griselda to lead her up the higher levels of the castle. 

…

The Willow Tree wasn’t that far from the old goblin castle. It was still a good distance away while flying. Bog scanned the area around him that had once been his home. There weren’t that many workers left since they had mostly dug up everything they need that was salvageable. 

Oddly enough, no one seemed to be making a fuss as they would if they found something. Something was wrong here. Why would the mushrooms send word that he was needed here?

Then there was a sharp prick on Bog’s back and he tensed as his wings went numb and dropped to the ground. 

“Oh great, he’s home…” Bog groaned.

“Sire! Are you alright?” Thang cried out as he and Stuff got to their King’s side. 

Bog said nothing before quickly pulling the two smaller goblins closer. He spun his staff, quickly deflecting more paralyzing darts that flew their way. Bog felt himself hit the ground and he only had moments to raise his staff up to shield from a pair of razor sharp armor plating pointed dangerously close to his neck. 

Bog hissed at his attacker and was face to face with intimidating pure white eyes. 

“I’m going to kill you, Bog King!” The attacker hissed.

“I’d like to see you try.” Bog growled. 

“BK!” Stuff and Thang cried out, running up to attack the mysterious goblin with their sticks. The attacker easily dodged their attacks easily before turning to greet them with a large smile. 

“Oh, it’s you guys! Good morning, Stuff, Thang. Did you miss me?” The attacker hummed happily.

“Faob?” Thang asked surprised.

“Spymaster.” Stuff nodded, her demeanor turning passive again. If it was him attacking Bog then there was nothing to worry about. 

“How was your trip?” Thang asked curiously, also relaxing. 

“Faobhroch, get off me!” Bog hissed before bringing his leg up, kicking off the smaller goblin. 

“My trip was fine, thank you for asking, Thang!” Faob grinned playfully before turning his attention back to his King. Bog shuddered at the look of death his spymaster was giving him. It amazed him how a blind goblin could give such menacing looks. “Now excuse me, I must murder our illustrious ruler.” 

“Here we go…” Bog sighed, quickly pulling up his staff to shield himself from Faob’s next blow. 

“I asked you to do one thing! One thing, Bog! Make sure this palace is standing by the time I get back and look what I come home to!” Faob hissed. 

“Technically this wasn’t my fault, Faob!” Bog tried to counter but he would hear nothing of it. 

“I don’t care whose fault this is! I’m going to kill you!” 

“You can’t, I met a girl!” Bog argued. 

“What?” Faob hesitated for a moment, perking at the sincerity in Bog’s voice before he growled in frustration and he pounced. “I was gone for five minutes and this happens, King ‘I-will-never-fall-in-love-again’?!” 

As the King of the Dark Forest and the Spymaster fought, a group of workers gathered beside Stuff and Thang. They were assumed both from the fight and the banter between the close friends. The small group was already starting to place bets on who would win while Thang ran off to inform the rest of the palace.

They couldn’t miss this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bog's going to be okay, Faob's just going to beat him to a pulp for letting the castle get destroyed but he's certainly curious who Bog met XD hopefully he gets to meet Marianne in the next chapter, hope you guys enjoyed the chapter ^_^


	4. The Story Is Just The Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally managed to finish another chapter :D thank you themightiestpotato for editing the chapter and thank you endorathewitchwriter for helping me come up with the idea of Griselda having her own wing in the new palace ^_^
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter!

On the way up the spiral stair case, Marianne took a moment to really look around. The castle had come a long way from being a hollow willow tree. She was proud of everyone and their contribution to make all of this possible in such a short time. Spiraling staircases had been carved into the wood, branching out to other levels and areas of the tree. Each passage lit up by the light coming from glow worm strings hanging off the ceilings like chandeliers. It was really a sight to see.  
  
Marianne couldn't help but trail her finger tips along some of the tear shaped droplets as she walked passed with Griselda. These were always one of her favorite things Bog had shown her during their first flight together in the Dark Forest.  
  
Back then when he had first shown her this place she never thought it would become the goblin's new palace. It had only been a week, it was a long way from being complete but everyone already seemed to be at home. She had to make a note to herself to ask Bog why he hadn’t moved castles sooner. The old castle collapsed by a few falling cages. It just didn’t make sense why they stuck around the unstable castle.  
  
Soon enough, the fairy and goblin had arrived to Griselda's wing that Bog had conveniently placed on the opposite side of the castle.  
Marianne hadn't been to this area often, her time had been occupied with helping out the reconstruction and organizing she hadn't even had a chance to explore the whole palace yet.  
  
Griselda led her outside to a balcony. Marianne was temporally blinded by the sunlight and she immediately raised a hand to shield her eyes.    
  
“What took you so long?” Sugar Plum called out and once her eyes adjusted a bit more Marianne could see Plum, Dawn and Sunny seated at a table covered in an assortment of fairy and goblin food. Plum made a face at Griselda and Marianne. Griselda had said she was just going to go fetch her son and potential daughter in law and she comes back an hour later with only one of them beside her.    
  
"Something came up, we're here now." Griselda waved off the sparkly fairy.  
  
A part of Marianne wondered why Plum stuck around. She was free now but she always seemed to find her way back. She came and went, occasionally coming to help with the reconstruction of the new palace. No one really minded her being around and for one reason or another Plum and Griselda had become the unlikely of friends. They often teased and tormented Marianne and Bog about their relationship but it was mostly harmless.  
  
"Good morning..." Dawn said between a yawn when she noticed them. Her hair was a complete mess, her curls sticking out more than usual in each direction so it she probably just woke up. Dawn was never a morning person. Meanwhile, Sunny sat on her lap and she held onto him like a teddy bear, not that he objected.  
  
"Good morning everyone." Marianne replied smiling, kissing her sister’s head before moving to sit down beside her.  
  
Taking a look around, Marianne took in the sights. The balcony had a lovely view. Half of it showed the creek running along the back of the palace and the other faced towards the Dark Forest. The forest took on a new look during the day but it couldn't compare how beautiful it looked at night.  
  
Sunny mumbled something to himself, grabbing Marianne's attention. Looking over she could see he was staring intently at the food on his plate. She couldn't really figure out what kind of food it was but it was definitely goblin food. She couldn’t help but giggle a little, remembering the breakfast she had earlier with Bog before she tried to figure out what was on Sunny’s plate. It was an odd color with earthly tones and it had a strange texture she couldn't quite name.  
  
"Have you built up the nerve to try any of that stuff yet?" Marianne asked with a smile.  
  
Goblin food was odd, beside the recognizable things like mushrooms. Other goblin cuisine varied in smell, color, and texture. She's only gotten herself to try a few different things. It wasn't bad for the most part. Just different. You just had to be careful of what you decided to eat.  
  
"Not yet, but I think today is going to be the day." Sunny said determination flashing in his eyes.  
  
"I wouldn't if I were you, sunshine." Griselda replied, picking up what only goblins would consider as food from the plate. "It'll give you a rash."  
  
"Well I just dodged an arrow." Sunny sighed in relief, grimacing when Griselda chomped down on it and she responded with a snicker. "I’m not even going to ask what that was."  
  
Sunny shuttered a bit before leaning back to rest against Dawn and she began to gently stroke his head. The elf sighed contently, closing his eyes with a smile. His hair drooped a bit without his hat but he welcomed her affection without complaints.  
  
Dawn smiled at his reaction before looking up at Marianne. She perked a bit from her sleepy daze, noticing the flush in her sister's cheeks and she couldn't help but remember how unwell she looked the night before when she ran into her. "Hey, Marianne, are you alright? You don't look so good."  
  
"Huh?" Marianne asked, puzzled by the question, her hand hovering over a basket of strawberries she was about to raid. "Yeah? Don't worry I'm fine. Just some second hand embarrassment." She mumbled the last part under her breath, picking up a strawberry and taking a bite to give her something to do.  
  
"More like firsthand." Griselda snickered.  
  
"Don’t you dare." Marianne warned.  
  
"My bet is that it has something to do with the Bog King. She gets this sparkle in her eyes when she thinks about him!" Sugar Plum squealed, morphing her appearance to look like Bog as she made kissy faces at her.  
  
Marianne just looked at her deadpanned while trying to not laugh at how funny it was seeing someone with Bog's face making such a ridiculous love struck face.  
  
"She's not denying it." Sunny whispered to Dawn, loud enough for the rest of the group to hear. Dawn covered her mouth and couldn't stop herself from giggling.  
  
"Come to think of it, Boggy did just rush out of here in a hurry looking flustered. What did you do sister dear?" Dawn hummed, amusement glinting her bright blue eyes.  
  
"I didn’t do anything." Marianne grumbled, slouching back on her chair, crossing her arms, giving Griselda an accusing look.  
  
The small goblin woman, completely aware of the dirty look she was getting just poured herself some tea while humming innocently to herself. Dawn and Sunny broke into laughter again while Plum morphed back to her real form. Marianne just quietly cursed them all for this. Then, a white, furry hand reached out from beneath the table, patting the surface in search for more food. Sunny reached over, picking up a little cake before placing it within the Imp's reach. The Imp snatched the treat before disappearing beneath the table again.    
  
Marianne smiled a bit before sitting up to pick up another strawberry. She didn't remember there being any earlier this week, it must have been just sent over for the workers. Pulling out a little bag from her pocket, Marianne started to smuggle away from to save her later. She wondered if Bog would like them. Do goblins like strawberries?  
  
"Marianne, stop smuggling food." Dawn groaned, making a face at her sister's bad habit.  
  
"I'm not hungry; I'm saving them for later." She protested.  
  
"You know there's going to be more later right? It's not like they'll be gone." Dawn argued. Sometimes she felt like the older sister between them.  
  
"Not until Bog sees them." Griselda chuckled softly, "He'll gobble those strawberries all up. They're his favorite."  
  
Marianne, Dawn and Sunny perked up at that and shared a look before looking back at Griselda. "Really?”  
  
“Yeah, it was one of the few fairy foods he tried as a kid." Griselda hummed nostalgically as she sat down at the table. "He was picky with what he ate but he just loves them to bits.”  
  
Marianne just stared at Griselda before stuffing more strawberries into her pouch. She could test it out or use them as a bribe if she needs to so it was best to stock up now before Bog got back. Dawn just made another face at her. She definitely felt like the eldest sometimes.  
  
"Wait, how did Bog get strawberries? It's a fairy food. How did he get to try some if the borders were closed?" Dawn asked, tilting her head while she tried figure it out herself.  
  
“They weren’t closed when he was a kid, sweetie." Griselda replied, her voice softening as she stirred her tea with honey, another thing she hasn't had in a while, "His father was part fairy so he liked to share that part of his heritage with us whenever he could.”  
  
“Wait, Bog’s part fairy?” Dawn gasped. He looks so much like a goblin with his claws, sharp teeth and scaly skin it never really connected to her.    
  
“Well, he is the only one with wings. Well besides some of the bugs.” Sunny added, tilting his head up to look up at her. “Always found that pretty weird.”  
Marianne looked to Griselda, offering her a light smile, “As you can see we don’t know that much history about the Dark Forest.”  
  
"Well, time to get educated then." Griselda replied with a smirk. "What would you like to know, kiddos?”  
  
“Oh! Tell us about your husband! What was his name again?” Dawn jumped at the changed, his eyes sparkling as she sat up, eager to know more.  
  
“Dirk.” Griselda clarified, she couldn't help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Anything specific or should I start from the very beginning.”  
  
“Oh! Tell us how you two met!” Dawn squealed excitedly.  
  
Marianne made a face at Dawn, this wasn't really the sort of thing that would enlighten them on the history of the Dark Forest but she couldn't help but be curious. Especially after the vision she had seen, she couldn't help but want to know more about the mysterious Dragon King.  
  
"Story time!" Plum chirped.  
  
"Alright, let me think, it's been years..." Griselda chuckled, dropping her hands to her lap, she reached into her pocket and fiddled with a small piece of Amber.  
She was tempted to use the Amber and just show them the memory. It would be a lot easier than to explain it but she knew Bog hadn’t been too keen to let people know about the properties of amber. Sure, he trusted Marianne with the knowledge but that didn’t mean he wanted to let everyone know just yet so she’ll have to make do with telling the story.  
  
"Let’s see, we met as kids but I didn’t meet him until a few years after he and his mother returned to the Dark Forest…” Griselda muttered to herself, getting her thoughts together.  
  
“He didn’t live in the Dark Forest as a kid?" Sunny asked, tilting his head.  
  
“Nah, you probably heard the stories that long before you were born, heck, even before I was born the Dark Forest and the Light Fields were always locked in endless war and conflict.” Griselda started to explain. “Dirk’s father, Galen, The Dreamer King was the first to take a stand against the violence in the Dark Forest but that's a different story, this story is about me and Dirk."  
  
"Okay, so Dirk didn't live in the Dark Forest as a kid, got that part. So how did you meet?" Sunny asked curiously.  
  
"Dirk was a kid when he first arrived to the Dark Forest. He had some issues being a Dark Fairy, half goblin and half fairy while he was living in the Light Fields with his mother. After a few years of living in the Dark Forest he realized not much was different, unfortunately.” Griselda sighed a bit, remember how difficult it was in those times. “People still treated him differently even when more Dark Fairies began to pop up all over the place. His father and the other Dark Fairies did what they could to get people to accept but goblins are stubborn. You want them to respect ya you gotta prove yourself to them but my Dirk was just a little button, he was smaller than other goblin children his age."  
  
"Aww, the poor thing." Dawn sighed, she couldn’t even begin to image how difficult it must have been for him.  
  
"Yeah, now I feel a little bad for being one of the kids who tormented him." Griselda shrugged.  
  
"You did not." Dawn replied, looking at her surprised.  
  
"Hey, I was a kid and I feel bad about it now. Anyway, so one day when I was yeh big" Griselda said, hovering her hand to be about the height of the table, "I was just walking around by these brier thorns, minding my own business when I hear this voice..."  
  
.........  
  
_The Brier Thorn Forest_

“Okay, calm down Dirk, you've been in tougher places than this right? Not that I can think of any at the moment but as long as I remain completely calm—” Dirk sighed, not liking his current predicament, stuck high off the ground in the brier thorns. He tried to look around for any sign of hope, perking when he caught sight of a red blur far below him.

“What'cha doing all the way up there for?” Griselda asked, looking up at the odd boy, really trying to figure out how he got up there in the first place. 

Dirk perked up, sprinting a bit to try to figure out who was talking to him but he gave up quickly. As long as it was someone who could help he didn’t care. “Spirits! You're the first person I've seen for hours!” 

“Well answer me, it's rude to ignore a lady.” Griselda scoffed, crossing her arms before she perked a bit, noticing the boy’s wings shine in the light.  

Dirk made a face, clearly not in the mood for games or teasing. “Oh you know, just hanging around. For hours. Not being able to move. Just having a peachy time trying not to get noticed by birds.” 

“Looks like you're having the time of your life up there, fairy boy. I'll leave ya to it.” Griselda replied, before she started to walk off. She wasn’t going to leave him just like that but he deserved to be tormented a bit for being rude.

“Wait! Don't go!” Dirk called out in a panic. “I'm stuck and need help!”

“What am I supposed to do? Fly up there and get you down?” She asked, glancing back up at him. She wasn’t sure what to do, still trying to wrap my head around how he got stuck up there in the first place. That is, until I noticed his wings snagged by a bunch of thorns. It would make it very painful to try to move much. “Ow, that looks like it hurts.”

“Yeah and I really appreciate some help getting down...Can you go get help?” He asked, his voice growing softer.

“Hmm, where do you live?” She asked, she couldn’t just leave him up there now. 

“...The palace.” He replied after hesitating for a moment.  

“You one of this noble's kids?” Griselda asked, surprised one of them would even venture this far from the palace. 

“Something like that...Is that really important? Just please get someone who can get me—” Dirk replied before shrieking as the thorn branches suddenly snapped from his weight and he crashed to the ground, falling through the thorns and he groaned in pain. “...d-down...”

“Ouch…” Griselda cringed at the poor dark fairy boy crumbled at her feet. She moved to his side to help him sit up, noticing that his iridescent wings were torn up. “Well that's one way of getting down…” 

Dirk couldn’t help but laugh. “I should have just tried to do that hours ago...” He said, wincing, it even hurt to laugh. He glanced over his shoulder to inspect his wings, flinching to see how torn up they were. “Thanks anyway...?”

“Griselda.” She replied, patting his shoulder gently to reassure him. “And it’s not like I did anything to help.”

“Dirk...” He replied before he tried to stand wincing when a sharp pain shot through his ankle. “Well…Would you mind helping me get home? I don't think I can walk that well.” 

“Alright, let’s go.” Griselda sighed, helping the poor kid up and letting him lean against her like a crutch. It was going to be a long walk to the palace.  

.........

_Present Day_

"We talked for hours on the walk back. About whatever that was on our minds.” Griselda sighed before making a displeased face. “Found out that a supposed friend of his was the reason he got stuck there in the first place as a prank but he didn’t seem concerned by it, much to my shock.” 

“Anyway, I didn't even know the clumsy kid was the Prince until we got back to the palace and his mother ran into us. Queen Avira was her name. The sweetest fairy woman surrounded by goblins twice her size but she could scare them off just by a look." Griselda snickered. She remembered the earful Avira gave Dirk’s guards for not being able to keep an eye on him. She missed that sweet fairy. 

"We became good friends after that, drove each other crazy, had some good laughs. I kept up with that ball of energy somehow and watching over him sort of became my job even after we got married." Griselda sighed, remembering those times fondly.

"Sounds a bit familiar." Marianne grinned, stealing a glance over at Sunny and Dawn. Dawn just giggled, pulling Sunny closer to cuddle him and he sighed contently, hugging her back as he returned her affection. Griselda laughed heartedly at the two. She was a sucker for young love and she got to see two happy couples at once. 

“Hm, Dirk wasn’t a beacon of sunshine like Dawn and despite his fairy side,” She added thoughtfully, “He actually got more serious with age and having to deal with all the problems in the Dark Forest but I was still able to get a smile out of him every now and then.”  

"What was he like? As your husband? As King?" Dawn asked curiously. 

Griselda opened her mouth to answer but not before Thang appeared down below in the courtyard, calling to get everyone’s attention.

“Everyone, come quick! Faob’s back!” Thang cried out just before Stuff ran up beside him.

“And he’s trying to kill BK!” Stuff added quickly. 

“What?” Marianne perked up, concern growing in her voice as she stood quickly, “Where are they?!”

Stuff and Thang looked up to the balcony up to Marianne and were about to say something when Bog and Faob crashed into the courtyard, narrowly missing a crowd of workers that had gathered when they heard the news. 

“Bog!” Marianne called out, she was about to swoop down to help but Griselda quickly grabbed her arm to keep here on the balcony. 

“Oh don’t worry about them, let the children fight this out.” Griselda replied, shaking her head as she moved to sit back down and calmly drink her tea.  

“Excellent! A duel! Nothing exciting has happened in a while!” Plum commented as she leaned against the railing to get a better look at the fight. She also didn’t appear concerned in the slightest that someone was trying to kill Bog. 

“You know that guy?” Marianne asked Griselda, bewildered before looking back down at the goblin everyone called Faob. She scanned the crowd gathering around the two and realized the other goblins were cheering and placing bets while several Fairy and Elf workers looked just as puzzled as Marianne over the spectacle.  

“Yeah, just sit back and enjoy the show.” Griselda added with a smile.  
Bog’s wings fluttered wildly behind him as he tried to make space between him and Faob. The paralysis from the darts were starting to wear off now and he needed to get feeling back into his wings. He quickly spun his staff to block another volley of darts from hitting his wings again and he growled in frustration at the younger goblin. 

“The Council is going to kill you Bog but not before I get my hands on you!” Faob hissed, but nearly not as aggressive as he would have liked. This was too much fun. 

“Oh, where are those sorry sots anyway?” Bog asked, shielding a blow as the younger goblin struck at him with his arm blades. 

“They sent me to find you and figure out what happened to the castle like their lap dog, me! Of all people! What else?!” Faob growled, some of his fury returning to him as he struck at Bog again. “Why didn’t you send word what happened sooner?!”

“I sent word…through the Mushrooms.” Bog replied, hesitating for a moment before Faob swiftly moved in and made a solid punch, knocking the wind out of him.  
Bog stumbled back, trying to regain his breath and Faob just stared, not believing what he just heard. Groaning loudly, he quickly moved in to strike with his arm blades. “Yeah, I’m definitely going to kill you first, Bog.”

“You can do it, Boggy!” Dawn cheered, her voice just managing to break through the cheers of the other goblins.

Faob flinched a bit at the cheerfulness in her voice and motioned in her direction. “Is that the girl ?”

“By the spirits, no.” Bog groaned, easily side stepping to dodge his stroke before looking to Dawn. “BOG KING.” 

Dawn only giggled and gave him the widest of smiles before Bog perked up a bit, noticing Marianne standing beside her. Marianne watched him, her arms crossed while she tried to force back a smile before her efforts failed and she couldn’t help but smirk playfully as she winked at Bog. 

Faob easily took advantage of Bog’s distraction and grabbing for Bog and holding him in a choke hold with his own staff. “Oh, come on Bog, you can’t get distracted that easily!”  

Bog gasped out for air, he tried to move in an effort to throw the smaller goblin off him but Faob had him pinned and he could barely move without the pressure increasing around his neck. 

“You promised your mother on her dying breath you would make sure no harm came to me, Faob!”

“My mother is still alive you idiot!” 

“Faob, how is Rael doing?” Griselda called out from the top of the balcony while Plum watched him a bit wearily.

“She’s doing well, thank you for asking Griselda!” Faob called back with a smile, perking when he sensed Plum beside her but he dropped it for a moment. Bog better have a good explanation for all of this.

“So is this normal for you two or should I save you?” Marianne called out just as Bog was beginning to see stars.

“Save me,” Bog gasped out, but he couldn’t help but grin. Faob was in for a surprise. 

Marianne sighed a bit dramatically, reaching over to grab a decent size knife off the table before jumping off the balcony and swooping down straight for Faob. The goblin perked, hearing light but swift wing beats coming straight for him and only had moments to raise up his arm to block Marianne’s strike. With Faob’s grip loosened, Bog easily gained the upper hand and threw him off of him. Picking up his staff, he quickly regrouped with Marianne. 

“Friend of yours?” Marianne asked, glancing briefly at Bog and then back to Faob. 

“You could say that.” Bog laughed, his voice a bit horsed before grinning widely as he stepped back into the crowd of goblins. 

“Hey, where are you going?” Marianne asked, surprised when the goblins started to cheer her on. 

“Goblin tradition! This is your fight. Now prove yourself!” Bog replied confidently, nodding his head and a goblin came running up to him, holding a sword. Taking the sword, Bog’s eyes softened a bit before he tossed her the blade, “Now show him what you’ve got, tough girl.” 

Marianne caught the sword by the hilt easily and she glanced at it briefly before feeling the air rush behind her. She raised the blade quickly, blocking Faob’s strike, his arm blades only inches from her face and she couldn’t help but grin.

“Excellent block.” Faob grinned and Marianne noticed his striking white eyes and she realized he was blind. Interesting thing to note but she wasn’t about to let her guard down. “So you’re the girl, aye? I swear after that vow “I’m never going to fall in love again” I thought Bogger was going to die sad and alone.”

“You’re as bad as my mother!” Bog growled a bit from his spot on the sidelines 

Marianne couldn’t help but laugh at Bog’s comment. “Eh, I’m not much better. I pretty much took the same vow.” 

Faob couldn’t help but laugh as he took a step back, avoiding a blow, “I definitely need to hear this story then!”  

Marianne only grinned; she felt she was going to like Faob.

The two were evenly matched, either of them giving in in the slightest. Marianne studied Faob, his moments, his quirks to gather more of a feel for his fighting style. He was flightless despite having a very similar appearance to Bog, similar species most likely, probably the other 1/3 of Bog’s blood species. Marianne didn’t know many types of goblins by name so she made a mental note to herself to ask later. 

“Go Marianne! Take this guy down!” Dawn cheered.

“You got this, Marianne!” Sunny added.

“Faob, if you get one scratch on her I’ll bury you alive!” Griselda yelled. 

“Oh, harsh, Griselda.” Faob flinched but he wasn’t going to hold back. He needed to see what Marianne could do.  

Turning her attention back on Faob, Marianne made a few more mental notes about her opponent. His exoskeleton also looked much heavier and sharper than Bog’s. Definitely a ground based species, possibly underground since he was blind. She was rather impressed that his arms blades actually worked well against her sword. Still, she was only using the flat of her sword, she figured with enough time and focused blows she could wear down the nearly steel like armor. 

“What are you doing fighting from the ground? Not going to fly, fairy?” Faob taunted but Marianne was smarter than that, she noticed Bog couldn’t fly well when they came crashing into the court yard and she’s been careful to keep her wings out of Faob’s reach. 

No she would have to fight this battle without them. 

Over the roar of the crowd, Marianne could hear several goblins, as well as fairies and elves cheering her on while others also cheered for Faob. Her energy only boosted from the ground as they cheered her on. Dawn watched from the balcony, she was amazed by how well Marianne was keeping up this new guy. Though couldn’t help but glanced down at Bog and giggle a little.

“What’s so funny, Dawn?” Sunny asked.

“Look at Bog, look at him how he’s looking at Marianne!” Dawn covered her mouth but she couldn’t stop herself from giggling. “Look at his wings!”

Following her gaze, Sunny quickly found the goblin king. He did notice he was rather quiet during the match but now he could see why. Bog’s attention was completely on the match, or more likely, watching how she moved, how she fought and he looked like he was caught under a spell, staring at a warrior goddess. 

Then, there were Bog’s wings which had become more animate as the paralysis wore off. His iridescent dragonfly wings fluttered passionately and they rise and fell as Bog watched the spar as to anticipate their moves. It was actually kind of adorable to watch. 

Sunny hadn’t known Bog for long, he wasn’t even sure if they were friends yet since they haven’t spoken much, so it was interesting seeing these new sides of him. The love that blossomed between Bog and Marianne was a surprise to him, as well as everyone else from the Light Fields and the Dark Forest. It was a sight to see. 

“Marianne, watch his reach!” Bog called out to her as she quickly ducked to avoid a kick.

“You’re better than I thought you would be.” Faob noted with a grin. “Still, fighting a blind guy, seems a bit unfair doesn’t it? Let’s even the playing fields, shall we?”  
With that Faob swatted down to the ground, dragging his shovel like blades into the ground, scooping up dirt before striking at Marianne. She quickly blocked the attack but not before a cloud of dirt blinded her vision. 

Recoiling back, Marianne took a few steps back. Her eyes burned and tears form in the corners of her eyes before she raised her sword to block another strike from Faob and she hissed at him. “Oh, that was a dirty move!” 

“Huh, not bad.” Faob replied pleasantly surprised by how quickly Marianne recovered. “You’ve got a little something in your eye though.”

Marianne growled at his softly before concentrating to listen to his movement. It was a little difficult over the noise of the crowd but not impossible. She listened intently to his movements, remembering the training she had with her sprites and blocked another attack easily. 

“Is that all you got?” Marianne taunted. 

“What do you mean?” Faob asked, moving his arms up to shield himself from another blow, wincing a bit, noting that Marianne put more force into the blow. 

“I dunno, I was expecting more?” Marianne replied with a smirk and she could hear Bog laugh heartily and they both remembered their first fight fondly. Swiftly, Marianne ducked another one of Faob’s attacks and she quickly kicked his legs from beneath him. 

Faob yelped as he crashed to the ground. He groaned softly, rubbing his head from the impact of the fall before he felt the cool metal from the top of Marianne’s sword press to his neck. 

“Well done.” Faob replied with a smirk, raising his arms to yield.

The crowd exploded into chaos. Several goblins, fairies ad elves cheered for Marianne. However, emotions were mixed. Several were delighted by the outcome of the match while others, not so much as they paid off their bets. Still, it was an excellent battle to watch. Faobhroch, The Spymaster vs Princess Marianne. It was definitely going to be the talk of the day until the Council returned. 

Rubbing her eyes to try to get the dirt out, Marianne perked when she heard a flutter of wings and Dawn tackled her into a tight hug, “You were amazing, Marianne!”

“I try.” Marianne chuckled before Dawn handed her a handkerchief. 

Faob couldn’t help but chuckle as Bog helped him to his feet, “I like her.”

“Back off, she’s mine.” Bog replied with a playful threat on his tongue.

“Excellent battle, Marianne. You’re perfectly capable of keeping Bog safe. That’s all I really wanted to prove when I heard he found someone.” Faob added, flashing Marianne a friendly smile.  

“I heard that.” Bog hissed.  

“You were meant to, Bogger.” Faob smirked.  

Dawn couldn’t help but giggle at how Faob teased Bog. It was so sweet. “Are the two of you brothers?”

“Spirits, no!” Bog cringed before Faob grinned playfully. 

“No, I am Faobhroch, The Spymaster of the Dark Forest. Since I just fought Princess Marianne, you must be Princess Dawn.” Faob replied, bowing a bit at the two of them.

“You know who we are?” Marianne asked, trying to clean her eyes. 

“I recognize your names, yes. I need to know these things.” Faob replied, placing his hands on his hips with a grin. “Things like how Bog managed to fall in love with you. Bog, when you said you fell for a girl I didn’t think you meant the heir to the throne of the Light Fields of all people.” 

Bog just coughed awkwardly, Marianne already knew he did that when he blushes or when he’s flustered. Marianne felt a blushed form on her own cheeks and she quickly busied herself by cleaning the dirt from her eyes. She made a face when she pulled the cloth from her eyes and saw it was stained with the purple of her eye shadow. Sighing, she disgruntled used the cloth to wipe away the rest of the smeared pigment. 

Bog gave Faob a look and Faob smirk, he didn’t need to be able to see to know Bog was not pleased with his endless teasing. Still, Bog knew it was harmless. Shaking his head, Bog moved to Marianne’s side and cupped her cheek gently. 

“You were spectacular, Tough Girl.” He said, perking a bit when he noticed her eyes without the usual dark purple surrounding them and he looked over to Dawn.

“It’s like seeing a whole other person.”

“I know right?” Dawn gasped, taking a look at Marianne, for a moment recognizing the girl she knew for years. 

“Very funny.” Marianne huffed, rolling her eyes before she looked down at the sword Bog had given to her for the match. It was a beautiful sword; silver, with cravings across the hilt and blade. It was very much like her old sword, except it adorned a piece of amber at its pommel and had several additional runes and marks craved into it that appeared to be in goblin script. 

Strangely enough, the amber kind of looked like the one Bog had thrown in the ceiling when she startled him. It even had a tiny scratch like that one did. Did that mean he made this?

“Where did you get this sword, Bog?” Marianne asked, inspecting the sword. 

“I found it lying around. It should look familiar to you.”

“Well, the amber yeah. Though, it kind of looks like my sword—” And the realization struck her.

“Bog, you didn’t!”

“I did.”

“How did you find it?!”

“A lot of digging.” Bog replied, smiling at her enthusiasm before Marianne tackled him, embracing him tightly but making sure she wouldn’t hurt him with the sword. Bog stumbled back a bit, nearly dropping his staff to make sure he wouldn’t fall back or drop Marianne but he couldn’t help but laugh and soon enough she was laughing along with him.

“You two are so sickly sweet, I love it.” Faob laughed, hearing the two. His expression softened for a moment. It’s been too long since he’s heard Bog this happy.

“Alright, details now. I want to know how this happened and what happened to the castle. I have the feeling they’re related.”  
Bog and Marianne perked up a bit, looking up at one another before looking back at Faob.

“Yeah, really funny story actually.” Marianne replied, keeping her free arm around Bog while she sheathed her blade. 

“First, I believe another introduction is in order.” Bog replied, resting an arm around Marianne before he looked towards the balcony and motioned Sunny to come down. The elf nodded and hopped off the balcony and scaled down the wall to get down to them.

“Um, hello. I’m Sunny.” A voice below him said and he caught scent of him; an elf. Another surprise it would seem. 

“Hello, Sunny, name’s Faobhroch but Faob is fine.” He replied with smile before looking to Bog. He’d better have a really good explanation for this. “I sense more fairies and elves here and I can smell the flowers from the Light Fields from here. We’re close to the border. The Council going to throw a fit over this Bogger.” 

“Screw them.” Bog hissed.

Faob couldn’t help but laugh at his bluntness. “Well this is certainly a good step forward to your father's wishes.” 

Then, Faob let out a high pitched whistle and a small, odd looking goblin walked up to them.

It didn’t look like any of the goblins Marianne had seen before. Sunny didn’t even recognize this breed of goblin and he’s spent more time around them these days. The goblin was about the same size as an elf but it had very long arms that reached to the ground. Its face was dark, hidden behind what looked like some sort of star shaped helmet. 

Faob looked to the goblin and nodded his head out back the forest.

“Understood.” The goblin replied and with that the goblin ran off back into the forest with an unspoken command.  

“Alright, now the Council will have some warning about the fairies and elves when they arrive to our new home. They had hear a proper report when they get here by nightfall.”

“They’re that close?” Bog groaned, unconsciously holding Marianne closer and she patted his arm reassuringly. 

“Yes, Bogger. Now then,” Faob said, hooking an arm around Bog and grinned. “Show me around the place, so to speak. And don’t forget about how you and Marianne met. I still want that story. How do Sunny and Dawn tie into this exactly?”

Marianne, Bog, Sunny, and Dawn all shared a look. This was going to sound very ridiculous.

“I stole a love potion.”

“I crashed a party and kidnapped Dawn.”

“I punched him in the face and he tried to kill me.”

“I got love dusted and fell in love with Boggy.”

“BOG. KING.” 

Faob said nothing and he simply stood there with the blankest of expressions on his face before slowing turning to Bog. “Bog. What did you not understand when I told you NOT crashing parties while I was gone?!”

“Everything except the ‘not’ part.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, so we got to see more of Faob :D I hope you guys liked him, you'll definitely see more of him in the future. He can't get a break does he? Bog just never listens does he? YOU HAD ONE JOB BOG. 
> 
> I hope you guys liked seeing that bit of Dirk meeting Griselda when they were kids, there will definitely be more Dirk in the future 
> 
> I'll see when I'll update again, hopefully I won't take as long as I did last time but the end of the semester is coming up so I have to deal with that siiiiiiigh oh well I'll just have to see when I'm not busy.


	5. Coming Change

"What are you exactly? If you don't mind me asking." Marianne asked, looking at Faob from head to toe as the group continued with their tour of the castle. "I mean, you kind of look like Bog but you don't have wings and your armor, your eyes and those arm blades."

"Oh, Bog has those too," Faob replied, raising his arms and tapping one of the blades gently, "He just prefers to use his staff. He makes himself out to be aggressive but he uses a defensive style and weapon. It reflects his protectiveness."

"Aww, that's so sweet Bog." Dawn giggled, offering him a smile.

Bog opened his mouth to correct her but realized she called him by his proper name. He looked at her rather surprised before looking away and unconsciously looking down at Marianne. He felt his cheeks heat up a bit when he noticed Marianne was already looking at him with a smile and look of wonder. He quickly realized she was looking at his arms, working out in her head that the blades must have been retractable. Bog looked away, holding his staff a bit closer as his blush deepened.

Faob couldn't help but grin. He didn't need to have sight) to be able to notice this little exchange between Bog and Marianne. It was rather endearing. Yet, it was still new and odd, in a good way, Bog acting like this around someone. Someone he obviously cared about no less. 

"Anyway, I am what you call a Sidhe, I'm not surprised you didn't know. Sidhe are underworlders and don't come to the surface often. This accounts for our blindness and the armor." Faob replied to Marianne's initial question. "It's tough to live underground, we've evolved to adapt to those conditions."

"That's amazing." Marianne replied. 

"Thank you." Faob smiled warmly, revealing a row of sharp fangs similar to Bog's. She liked to learn he noted. Yes, he was going to like her. 

"So how do you see exactly, so to speak? You had no problem with that fight." Marianne asked. 

"Since sight is useless to us, our other senses are hyper sensitive. I can hear the beat of your wings and the sound of your breathing with ease." Faob explained, "Smell is also a big help. Like Sunny; you have a honey stain on your shirt from breakfast."

"Huh?" Sunny perked as everyone turned to look down at the small elf. Right in the middle of his white shirt was a small but distinct color of golden yellow on the fabric, "Wow I didn't even notice."

Faob chuckled a bit at his amazement before adding, "But one of the most important for me to 'see' is through vibrations. Such as the impact a person makes when they take a step on the ground. It helps builds a picture in my head. I'm simplifying things, I won't bore you too much with the details."

"You're so cool Faob," Dawn replied before looking back and forth between Bog and Faob. "Wait, does this mean Bog is a Sidhe too? How can he see?"

"Mixed blood, simply put." Bog replied with a light smile. 

"Can you see like Faob if you close your eyes?" Dawn asked curiously. 

"Uh, somewhat. It's not as strong but I can manage. My vision is also decent day or night." Bog replied with a small smile spread on his lips and he remembered his father used to wear spectacles. When Bog was a child he would take them off of his father's face and would try them on only to get a headache.

Marianne noticed Bog's small smile and distant look and gently brushed her wing against him to get his attention. He jumped a bit, startled until he looked down at her and relaxed a bit. She didn't say anything but Bog could tell in her eyes she was asking if he was alright and he simply nodded. 

"Ugh, you two are so sweet with that talking but not talking thing you do." Faob sighed but couldn't help but grin teasingly at Bog. 

"Mind your business, Faob." Bog said briskly but Faob only grinned wider.

"Well you two were not talking, very loudly." Faob added. 

Marianne couldn't help but snicker a bit at their banter. She wasn't very sure how Faob could tell what they were doing. Probably something he picked up with his senses. It was fascinating and the day had only grown more interesting. It was pleasant to see Bog in this light, speaking to someone he considered a brother. She knew the feeling, siblings can drive you crazy. 

"That reminds, me of earlier when that one goblin walked up to Faob. It looked like you two were having a conversation but neither of you said a word." Marianne had been curious about the small goblin and his exchange with Faob since she had first seen him.

Faob glanced over to Bog and they briefly shared a look. He said nothing verbally, Marianne noted, and he merely shrugged. "Goblin thing."

"What kind of goblin was the goblin you spoke to earlier?" Marianne asked, letting the previous subject drop for the moment. 

"A Runda," Faob replied, "They're small and swift. I have several of them as agents for that very purpose."

"I haven't seen any Runda or Sidhe this week. Why didn't we see any more of them here until you showed up?" Marianne asked, she noticed several of them seemed to magically materialize as if they came from the walls during the tour. 

Faob perked a bit, admiring Marianne perceptiveness and the curiosity these three people from the Light Fields had for the people of the Dark Forest. It gave him hope that indeed things were changing and hopefully for the best. 

"Most of the goblins you've seen like Stuff and Thang, even Griselda would be considered low goblins. Terrible name though, they're much kinder and respectable than most of the high goblins I know." Faob sighed, "Anyway, they mostly stick around the castle or have a handful of settlements around the kingdom.”

"Most high goblins, like the Sidhe, Runda, Coimeadai or Cleasai, travel the kingdom. For the most part for knowledge mostly and for education." Bog added, allowing his friend to have a chance to breath from all the endless questions but he knew Faob didn't mind sharing information of the Dark Forest to willing ears if it meant stronger relations with the Light Fields. "Unfortunately, many of them carry the old ways of the kingdom and feel entitled and above the low goblins which adapt easier to changing times."

"Ah, that's probably one reason why you mention your council won't be happy while you were trying to kill Bog." Sunny noted looking to Faob and Bog rolled his eyes at the mention of the council. Faob couldn't help but snicker at his disdain. The feeling was mutual.  

"Their official title is The Viziers. Highly knowledgeable in all things of the Dark Forest but yes, some of them can be...difficult when dealing with change. You've certainly created big change for them Bog." Faob muttered the last bit and gave Bog a knowing look. 

"For the last time, the castle collapsing wasn't my fault." Bog hissed under his breath. 

"I'm just saying the Viziers won't see it that way." Faob sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in attempt to fend off the headache he was developing. He wasn't even gone that long and he comes home to this. Well, he couldn't even call it home since 'home' was a pile of rumble at the bottom of a ravine. 

Now, they were actually in a living tree unlike the former castle, it felt strange and alien but it also felt nice. The atmosphere in this willow tree wasn't as stuffy as their previous home. Everything just felt alive and not like the roof was going to crash down on them at any moment. He had to give Bog some points there he supposed.  

Just then, Faob casually ducked to avoid being hit by a beam a group of goblins were moving though he perked a bit when an elf nearly ran into him. "Excuse me, don't mean to get in the way."

The elf quickly apologized to Faob before carrying on, helping to lead the goblin through the hall to where the beam needed to be taken to. 

Bog couldn't help but allow a small smile to curl on his lips at the sight of them. "One of many reasons I prefer the company of low goblins. They may be a handful at times but Faob is right, they're far more open minded. It's barely been a week since our collaboration started and everyone is working together as one." 

Marianne couldn't help but smile at the fondness in Bog's voice. Just a few days ago she would have never imagined it possible for people of the Light Fields and the Dark Forest work together, slowly building a trust between their people. She would have never imagined Bog accepting this but she hadn't known him before then. Now things were different. A good different. 

"It's good we somehow got this to work. Even though the events leading to this were rather strange." Marianne added and Faob only groaned slightly.

"Don't remind me, my brain is still reeling from that debriefing." Faob sighed. 

"So, Faob, where were you when this all happened if you don't mind me asking?" Sunny asked curiously. It just seemed sort of odd that Bog's spymaster wasn't there during all the madness. Faob was an interesting guy and seemed very civil and organized so it felt like things would have gone completely different if he had been here. 

"Hmm, running errands, part of the job of micromanaging this forest. Unfortunately, I also had the task of babysitting the Viziers while they traveled south to torture them for past misdeeds by having them help out at the borders." Faob sighed.

"You can't tell me it's not funny hearing five disgruntled high goblins tormented by the twelve children in the home they were to stay in." Bog chuckled and Faob couldn't help but grin.

"The toddlers kept begging them to pick them up and some of the older ones kept hiding their stuff to play and jumped on their beds when they ignored them." Faob chuckled fondly. "Kids are wonderful."  

Marianne, Dawn and Sunny couldn't help but laugh at the mental image of the some regal looking goblins being tormented by small goblin children. Bog only grinned a bit before they made their way down a long hallway that lead into a large room. Along most of the walls in this room, there were several dozens of doors leading off into tunnels.  
Faob seemed to perk when he got a layout of the room and tilted his head curiously at Bog. "What is this room, Bogger?"

"Your new command post for you and your agents." Bog explained as he walked into the room, heading over a tables filled with scrolls, books and tools of various types. "This should be mostly everything from your old spy tower that we could salvage. I still need to go through the amber."

Faob just stood there, his jaw hanging as he walked over to pick up one of the books on the nearest table. He trailed his hand through the book, examining its contents, feeling the raised ink on the paper and recognizing the characters. 

"I knew you would be on my case when we got back so I made sure once the others were settled in I would find a good place for you and your agents to set it. It's a bit short notice and I hope its adequate." Bog added, crossing his arms across his chest and studying Faob's reaction. 

"No, no, shush, it's perfect." Faob replied, holding a finger up to Bog's lips to stop him from talking. "Okay, I forgive you." 

"That's so sweet of you Boggy!" Dawn couldn't help but giggle at the two. "You may not look it but you have a good heart. You were able to put together all this for your best friend while dealing piles of other stuff I know that's been keeping you busy."

"Bog's always had a good heart." Faob added fondly. "I'm glad to see outsiders are starting to see that."

Bog said nothing and just looked away and he met Marianne's eyes again. She was smiling again. Why did she have to smile like that? Bog grit this teeth as a light blush formed on his cheeks before he turned away to inspect one of the scrolls. "We've combed extensively through the rumble and overall found nearly everything of importance. People are still rifting through damaged or destroyed items."

"I'll get some of my people to help with that and distribute things throughout the castle." Faob added, he just couldn't help but smile. "At least I don't have to start from scratch now. Do you have any idea the heart attack I had when we got to the castle and, It. Wasn't. There?"

"Where do all these tunnels go to?" Sunny asked, pointing over to all the doors and openings. 

"Several different places actually. They're still being explored and cataloged but they will be helpful for Faob and his agents to move about." Bog replied.

"This place just gets better and better." Faob chuckled before tapping Bog's arm. "Tell me again why we hadn't moved sooner? The roof was just about to collapse on us."

"No kidding," Sunny added, remembering he and the imprisoned creatures barely got out of there in time. 

"Oh, I know, it collapsed on me." Bog cringed absently rubbing his arm. It had only been a few days since the incident but with treatment and magic his arm had healed well. It was still sore but it was easier to move now. 

"Don't remind me," Faob sighed, "Really, sometimes you're like a child who can't be left alone."

"Why didn't you move sooner, Bog?" Marianne asked curiously. Even during their first fight she remembered how the walls were cracked and splintered. She was amazed they hadn't caused the castle to collapse then and there. 

"I...had my reasons." He wasn't quite sure how to explain it. When he thought back on it the reason felt a bit silly considering the hazards of the castle nearly got him and his people killed. "Anyway, I've always had an eye on this tree since he was a kid,"

"Really? Even though it's so close to the border?" Marianne was a bit surprised by that. 

"Well, that was sort of the whole point. Back when the world seemed simpler I thought to myself if we could just get closer to the Light Fields so your people would be able to see us maybe things could change between us." Bog remembered his father had given him the task to search for a home just before he left. The moment Bog saw this tree he knew it was perfect. "If your people had been able to see us and get to know us then perhaps there would be no reason to be afraid. Though, a lot has changed since then and a lot is changing now. I honestly haven't thought about this place until we were in dire need to look for a new home. "

Marianne looked up at him surprised, remembering not too long ago she had that same dream. Though what threw her off the most was she hadn't considered Bog once shared this dream. "Well, like you said, let's hope its good change."

Bog couldn't help but offer her a smile and she returned it warmly. Sunny and Dawn just watched the two of them, always amused to catch these kind of moments between them.   

"At any rate, this tree is a fitting place for a new start for my people." Bog added, scanning the room. 

"Just don't knock it down any time soon or set it on fire. Anything that will send it crashing down. Please." Faob begged and Bog just rolled his eyes. 

"Very funny, Faob. I promise I won't." He sighed while Faob made a face. He didn't feel very convinced or reassured in the slightest. 

"For some reason that doesn't make me feel better. Okay, off with you lot! I must reassemble my network now in peace." Faob declared.

"We'll leave you to it." Bog chuckled, moving to head to the door before Faob grabbed for the back of his collar. 

"Nope, not you, Bogger you're staying right here. I need to hear a full report of what happened that fateful day the castle collapsed." Faob replied and Bog just groaned a bit but didn't protest any further. "The same goes for the rest of you but I'll do it individually. The Viziers are just going love listening to this. I want to make sure I get the facts straight before they get here." 

"Well, bye!" Marianne waved to the two goblins before practically sprinting off with Dawn and Sunny.

"You can't escape me!" Faob called after them before they left the room. "Nice getting to know you three!"

Bog watched them disappear through the door and couldn't help but chuckle a little before turning to look at Faob. He perked when he noticed Faob's cheerful demeanor had been replaced and he had a much darker look on his face. 

"So Bog, this Roland guy..." 

"Faob no. As much as I hate the guy you can't sneak into the Fairy Kingdom to kill him and make it look like an accident."

"But he almost KILLED you. I will not stand for this."

"Faob."

...

It took another day for the Viziers to finally arrive to the new castle, accompanied by dozens other high goblins. Faob had send word about the fairy and elf workers in the palace, yet there was still a tension in the air. Even the low goblins seemed uneasy by their presence. 

Marianne could still the tension just by standing in the council chambers beside her father while Bog recounted what had occurred to the precious castle. The Viziers were quiet for the most part, merely sharing looks every now and then. Still, Marianne could tell they were not happy.

She stayed quiet, only speaking when addressed to or to clarify a piece of the story. It was a very strange story after all. Once the story came to an end, an uneasy silence filled the room. 

"And what of the fairies and the elf that started this entire mess?" The Sidhe Vizier Aogh asked. 

"The fairies, Roland and his lackeys, are in our custody." Dagda explained, looking to each of the Viziers, he had only met them once before under completely different circumstances. It felt odd to see them now. "Sunny has been given strict orders to aid in the reconstruction efforts." 

The Viziers said nothing to that, leaving Dadga to awkwardly rub his hands. Marianne watched them closely. They may have been quiet but they all looked like their minds were racing with the information they were just given. She could see the gears turning and for some reason it felt like they were having a silent conversation with themselves if that was even possible. She wondered if it was a goblin thing like Faob mentioned before and make a note to ask later.  

She also noticed Bog had intentionally left out the part of their relationship. It wasn't that important to what happened so it wasn't like he was intentionally withholding information. Still, Marianne had a feeling it wouldn't be wise for them to know just yet. 

"And do explain why there are so many elves and fairies running about this palace?" Another Vizier asked, Reed, a taller goblin that looked like he was wearing robes and a head dress. Faob mentioned Reed was a high goblin called a Cleasai.

"Many of my people have volunteered under my daughter and heir, Marianne's guidance to aid in the reconstruction efforts." Dagda explained, glancing over to Marianne before returning his attention to the high goblins. "I admit we weren't completely faultless of what happened to the previous goblin castle and we are willing to do what we can to help."

"We do not wish to cause further issues between their people. This actually presents a good way for relations between our kingdoms to strength." Marianne added, looking to her father and to Bog. Their people and the low goblins have already made so much progress as it was. They were beginning to start to trust each other, one step at a time. 

"That is enough. We are grateful for your people's aid given the circumstances. You may go now. Bog, there are matters we still need to discuss." Aogh stated.  
"Of course." Bog replied. 

With that, Marianne and Dagda took their leave, though Marianne took one glance at Bog. She quietly wished him luck before looking to Faob who was standing beside the Viziers. Faob offered her a light smile before she turned to follow her father out of the room.

When she walked out, Marianne her father wanted to speak to her about what happened but was surprised to see he was already being drawn away by his guards. 

"Marianne," Dagda stepped away from his guards and stepped towards his daughter. "I'm sorry but I need to return to the palace. I have matters to attend to there."

"Alright," Marianne replied, taking her father's hand. "Stay safe."

"That's what I should be saying to you." Dagda replied with a weak smile before his expression became serious. "Marianne, please make sure you and your sister are safe while you're here. I can tolerate the lower Goblins because they aren't a major threat but these higher goblins are a different matter."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't entirely trust the Viziers. Their actions have been questionable in the past. I won't go into it but you'll learn of them eventually." Dagda sighed before considering to add. "High goblins once made up the bulk of the goblin army back in the times when my father and mother fought in wars against the Dark Forest."

"I know you're concerned dad and you mean well, but I'm confident things can change between our people. We're not each other’s enemies." Marianne replied. 

"I know my dear but a father worries...Especially with you and Bog..."

"Dad, aren't you late for something?" Marianne sighed. 

"Ah yes, right, I'm sorry." Dagda replied, kissing her head, "I'll send you and Dawn a letter but I expect you two to take time to come visit."

"Yes dad," Marianne replied, watching her father and his guards leave before yelling from the inside the council chambers caught her attention. Marianne noticed that the door's hinges were not set right, leaving a small sliver in the door for noise to come through.

"You're taking this rather well." Bog said, once the yelling had ceased enough for him to speak.

"Enough, did you really almost caused a war over a bloody primrose petal?!" Aogh hissed. 

"That hypocritical of you, Boggart, you've been the one bringing up suggestions to improve relations between the kingdoms and you pull that stunt?! Kidnapping one of Dagda's daughters?" Sedge, the Runda Vizier added in, also not impressed by Bog's actions in this incident.

"At the time I needed to give the fairies incentive to return the potion. You know as well as I do the harm a potion could cause." Bog replied, glaring at the Viziers. "Do you remember the last time there was an outbreak of love dusted creatures?" And they all shudder including Bog. It was hard to forget.   

"Point taken but why is Aura roaming free?" Mochan, an owl like goblin asked. The Coimeadai high goblin.  

"It was a mistake to lock her up in the first place." Bog replied, sighing softly. "And not just for the first love potion incident." 

"We still need her to create the wards." Brennus, a tall, troll like goblin replied. "What if there is another coup attempt?"

"Even before we started using Aura for that task there hadn't been one in months and they're all minor and unorganized." Bog sighed, he had put much thought in what he would say to them when they asked this. "Nothing is strong enough to overwhelm my Drumming song. The Berserkers have no proper leadership so all their attempts are futile." 

Marianne perked a bit at the name Berserker. What were they? A type of goblin? A rebel group perhaps? She hadn't been aware there were inner problems within the Dark Forest. 

"That does not mean a new leader could rise up within their ranks. We need The Sugar Plum Fairy's magic to counteract anything they could try." Brennus added and the other Viziers nodded in agreement. 

"No I refuse to use that tactic any longer. It's not like she would be willing to use her magic to help after all I've done to her." Bog hissed, growing tired of this argument. "Aura has her freedom now and I am not going make her our enemy. We're lucky she hasn't even unleashed her fury on us." 

"But her abilities is the only thing able to disrupt something as powerful as Shaylynn's drumming song. If someone with a hive mind abilities like hers were to show up--" Aogh tried to argue before Bog hissed, flying up to Aogh, only inches from him in mere moments. 

"Do not say that name in my presence!" Bog growled darkly, holding his staff to the Vizier's neck. He would not have them get out of line. 

Marianne stepped back a bit from the door surprised. She hadn't expect Bog's sudden outburst and his anger reminded her back during the Elf dance festival when he was demanding for the return of the love potion. It was strange but interesting to see this side of him used on someone else. 

Still, all of this was fascinating. What was a Drumming Song? Some sort of hive mind ability they mentioned before? Marianne wondered of this had anything to do with Faob and Bog seeming to have a conversation in their head or when the Viziers had been doing something similar during the entire briefing. Who was Shaylynn and did that name enrage Bog so much? 

"Bog, heed our warning. If someone as powerful as her ever came along it would disrupt the chain of power." Aogh replied, not seeming fazed in the slightest. "Don't make the same mistake your father did for not preparing for this sort of attack."

"This is a problem we can deal with on our own. We do not need Aura for success to be possible. She doesn't deserve what I did to her." Bog hissed before his voice grow oddly soft. "For all she's done for the Dark Forest in the past this is an insult to her. What she does deserve is her freedom and she is allowed to come and go as she pleases."

"Just be aware, my King. Shaylynn and the Berserkers have crippled the Dark Forest once before due to their actions. They have no qualms to end your life to keep their ways. Shaylynn almost ended all of you, your father and even your grandfather worked to create all with a single song." Aogh added, he's lived for a long time witnessing all the times their kingdom nearly went to ruin. He did not wish to see the Dark Forest fall just because his King was being careless. 

"Then its good she isn't around to cause trouble is it?" Bog replied, watching the Viziers. 

"No but please do remain cautious of her remaining forces." Brennus added. 

"Most of the Berserkers have gone underground or disappeared completely." Faob added from his spot beside the Viziers, though the information provided little comfort, "I have a unit of my agents looking into this matter more thoroughly." 

"This does bring up the matter on the gate." Mochan spoke up. 

"Indeed it does. It is the main purpose I sent you all away with Faob." Bog replied thoughtfully stroking the barbs on his chin. "All the records and the plans were salvaged from the rubble of the former palace. Nothing has been set back. What is your report on its construction in the south?"

"Sufficient amber and materials have been gathered, especially since a new vein of amber had just been discovered. Construction is going smoothly and is on time." Sedge reported.

"The workers give it another year until its completion. Perhaps a few months even, if all goes to plan." Aogh concluded. 

Marianne perked a bit, taking a step away from the door. So Bog didn't just imprison Sugar Plum for the love potion incident? And who was Shaylynn and this gate they were taking about? What was the gate for? Why was it being built and why did they need so much amber for it? What was in the southern region of the Dark Forest?

An image flashed across her eyes. Dirk stood before her covered in cobwebs. A spark ignited from his fingertips, igniting the webs, causing the fire to spread and it rapidly engulfed him. The air around them felt suffocating and her eyes began to sting from the smoke. 

"What are you doing?" A voice asked just beside her ear and Marianne had to cover her mouth to keep herself from crying out.

Spinning around to see who it was, Marianne was surprised to see Faob. She looked at him for a moment before glancing back at the door before looking back at him. "Wait weren't you in there?" 

"Magic." Faob said, waving his hands teasingly. "I sensed you by the door during all the bickering. A Sídhe thing, though I would be careful. The head Vizier's a Sidhe and he would have noticed you if he wasn't already occupied with Bog."

"Right, I'm sorry I shouldn't have even been doing this in the first place." Marianne sighed as she stepped away from the door. 

"Probably not the wisest of ideas. I came to warn you just in case. I like you and wanted to make sure you didn't get into any problems with the Viziers. Last thing you need is to be on bad terms on them." Faob added as he walked beside her. 

"Right." Marianne sighed, feeling really silly about this.

"You alright? I didn't startled you too bad did I?" Faob asked, noticing she still seemed spooked.

"Oh, I'm fine." Marianne sighed, her thoughts momentarily going to the vision she had just seen and Faob didn't push it.

"So why were you listening in?" Faob asked, it's not that he didn't trust her but he just met her and was unclear of her intentions. Still he doubted she was up to anything sinister. 

"Oh, well. Uh..." Marianne fumbled to figure out her words. How could she explain she got memorized by Bog's voice without sounding silly? Even thinking it sounded silly. 

"You got entranced by Bog didn't you?" Faob guessed, and couldn't help but laugh when he sensed Marianne getting even more flustered to the point she didn't even try to argue it.

"Er...Well anyway...I should get going, I really shouldn't have done that." Marianne sighed, but Faob didn't seem too bothered by it.  

"I don't know about that. Knowledge is power after all. It just all depends how you use it." Faob smiled and he couldn't help but add: "I like you. I hope I get the chance to get to know you better. I'm glad Bog found you."

With that he stepped walk into the shadows, disappearing from view, likely finding his way back into the council's chambers. Marianne couldn't help but smile at his words. She knew they were genuine and she also hoped to get to know him better as well, Faob was certainly an interesting goblin. Then, she took a quick glance at the sword Bog had given to her before leaving to tend to her duties for the construction. It was a late start but better than nothing.

...

It took several hours for Bog to finish his meeting with the Viziers and he couldn't help but sigh in relief as he stepped out of the chamber. He started to make his way down the corridor, looking around as he passed by a few dozen fairy workers. 

"Marianne's in her study." Faob hummed, materializing out of nowhere with a grin on his face.

"I wasn't wondering where she was!" Bog immediately said defensively, looking away flustered. "Wait how do you even--? You know what never mind. You know everything." 

"You know it." Faob chuckled as he walked beside him. "Speaking of knowing everything, Marianne listened in to some of the meeting."

"What?"

"She was so entranced by you she couldn't leave the door. I think she likes you for your personality. It was rather adorable I think." Faob teased as a light blush formed on Bog's cheeks before something came to mind. 

"Wait, did she hear anything about the Gate--?"

"No, not enough to understand." Faob reassured him and Bog sighed in relief. "I went over to have a chat with her. She's such the sweetest thing despite having a wicked hand at the sword. It's humbling." 

"When did you leave the--? You know what never mind." Bog sighed, he should be used to Faob seeming to disappear and reappear at will.    
Faob just grinned widely. "So, when are you going to tell Marianne and her people about the Gate? What you're doing involves the future of her people if you think about it. If there's hope for our people there could be hope for hers."

"I know that... I...need to find a right time to tell her...to tell all of her people. Relations have definitely improved between our people but it's shaky and needs a proper foundation if it's ever going to survive." Bog sighed deeply this had been on his mind recently. "We've learned that the hard away before." 

"Are the two of you its foundation?" Faob asked curiously, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "Kinda romantic if you think about it. The two of you, Ambassadors to your people to end a never ending conflict between the Dark Forest and the Light Fields. Meanwhile, also looking to yourselves, allowing love to blossom and grow. Yeah, it really is romantic and I love it." 

"Faob." Bog rolled his eyes, not amused by his wild stories. 

"What? I can't be happy my best friend is happy and I want nothing but the best for you two?" Faob asked, smiling innocently, well at least Bog hoped it was innocent. It was hard to tell. "Anyway, for your sake and for the sake of the kingdoms I hope this story has a happy ending whatever path it takes." He added, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Bog perked up a bit and couldn't help but smile. "Thank you, Faob." 

Faob returned the smile. "Now I want more details about you two. You barely told me anything during the briefing."

Bog made a face and sighed. He should have known this was coming. "That's a far jump..." He muttered under his breath, shaking his head. "There isn't much to talk about. It's only been a week and we've been taking small steps." 

"Oh, come on at least tell me about your first date! Don't leave me hanging!" Faob whined, "You barely said anything about your moonlight flight with her before you thought she betrayed you."

"I showed her around the forest?" Bog replied, though it came out more like a question. 

Bog guessed that counted as a first date. They just both didn't realize it at the time apparently. Though there wasn't much to tell. He just showed her around, showing her things she feared and didn't understand at first and changed her perspective. Not to mention how beautifully the moonlight shined through her wings or how she sang about the forest with wonder and joy in her voice... 

Bog immediately stopped his train of thought, feeling the blush on his face as he quickened his pace. 

Faob noted his change in mood and let it slide, without saying a word. He needed to keep Bog on his good side. He needed vital information. "Was that before or after you two fell for each other?"

"Before, why does that matter?" Bog sighed, trying to figure out what Faob was up to. 

"Griselda has informed me that the two of you have been busy with the construction lately. Please tell me you two have gone on a REAL first date." Faob sighed, crossing his arms. "The moonlight flight sounds lovely but that doesn't count if it happened beforehand."

"Then by your definition, we have not." Bog replied, making his way up a stair case which would take them to the royal wing where Marianne's study would be.  
Faob made a face at that before his expression turned serious and he just nodded to himself before fading back into the shadows. "Noted."  

"Wait, what are you planning?!" Bog tried to call out to him but Faob was nowhere in sight and he cringed, hoping he was still in earshot. "Please don't make a fuss about this. I don't want the council to find out so soon and dig their noses into this and give us grief."

"I promise I'll make sure they never know, my dear friend!" Faob called out to him, "But that's not going to stop you two from going on a proper date~!" 

"You ARE worse than my mother!" 

"Is that supposed to be an insult?" Faob laughed before disappearing again.

Bog grumbled to himself before sighing a bit. He supposed he had to go and warn Marianne about this. 

...

It didn't take long for Bog to get to Marianne's study. The door was slightly open and he could see she was sitting at a desk, filling out paperwork and the like. Instead of knocking like a normal person probably would have done, Bog just stood there to watch her for a moment. 

Marianne looked rather focused on whatever it was she was doing. Still, it was interesting watching her focus on something mundane as paperwork. It was a different kind of focus than she had when she had a sword in her hand. Then, he considered that maybe now was not the time to disturb her if she was busy. 

"Oh just go talk to her you idiot." Bog only had a moment to recognize Faob's voice before he felt a hand push him through the door. 

Marianne jumped up a bit, startled when Bog suddenly stumbled into the room. Tripping and landing on his own face when he couldn't regain his balance. The two of them were silent for a moment, either of them sure what to do. For a moment Bog was too mortified to get up before realizing he looked more ridiculous on the ground. 

With a flap of his wings, Bog rose to his feet quickly, rubbing his hands as he tried to look anywhere but at Marianne. He was going to kill Faob for doing that. 

"...Was the meeting that bad?" Marianne asked uncertainly. She couldn't really figure out why else Bog would splat onto the floor. The goblin king did have a flair for the dramatics but she wasn't sure.  

"No, no! I can handle them. Uh...Let's just pretend that never happened." Bog said, brushing off the dirt on his chest. 

Marianne couldn't help but giggle a little as Bog stepped over to her. 

"You handled the Viziers very well when they were interrogating you." Bog said, wanting to change the subject. "It was very impressive, tough girl." He added, offering her a small smile as he sat down on a clear corner of her desk, reaching over to take her hands.

"I know, I try." She smiled, stroking her thumb gently over his rough fingers. "So I'm guessing we can't be like this when they're around huh?"

"I'd rather not have to do this but I also don't want to give them something they can ruin when what we have is so new." Bog sighed though he lowered his shoulders and wings.

It was very easy to relax around her. "Give it a few days. I'm sure you can keep your hands off me in public until then." He added, smirking at her playfully.

"Hmm, noted." Marianne replied, rolling her eyes playfully before kissing his hand. "Can't stop me from doing that in my own office though." 

Bog chuckled before picking her up easily, holding her close in his arms. "They'll find out eventually. Now that I think about it, it probably won't take long for them to find out since my mother is already making baby clothing." Bog sighed and Marianne laughed. 

"I'm not kidding, she's probably working on something right now."

"I have the feeling you're right." Marianne sighed helplessly, resting her head against his chest. 

"Oh and that reminds me, Faob is planning something for us. I'm 95% sure that my mother will be involved." Bog added. 

"Oh no." Marianne cringed a bit, Griselda was a bit much but Faob was a new player Marianne hadn't figured out completely yet. He seemed very much like a brother to Bog, the kind that liked to endlessly tease. "Sounds like the perfect partner in crime."

"Yes, unfortunately." Bog sighed deeply, resting his chin on her head as he absently stroked his hand through her hair. 

"What can we expect from him?" Marianne asked, tracing a circle with her finger on Bog's chest armor.  

"He wouldn't go as far as set up a dinner date like my mother or do something that gets too much attention from the Viziers. No, he plans things out extensively so it may take time. We have to watch our backs." Bog settled. 

"I'll watch yours if you watch mine?" Marianne asked, looking up at him with a smile as she gently strokes a finger along his back teasingly and Bog shuddered. 

"Sounds like a plan." Bog chuckled, cupping her face gently before leaning down to kiss her gently.

Marianne couldn't help but giggle into the kiss. "You're cuddly for a grumpy pinecone." 

Bog made a face at the nickname, grunting a little annoyed before she wrapped her hands around his again. He watched her for a moment before his expression turned a bit serious. 

"What?" Marianne asked curiously.  

"About before, with the vision you saw...Don't worry too much about that for now, alright?" Bog replied, gently stroking her cheek. "There isn't enough to go on with the information we have but if you see anything else I want you to tell me." 

"Alright." Marianne nodded, turning her head to kiss his hand gently to reassure him. She considered telling him what she had seen earlier but it was so small she could tell him later. 

Bog appreciated the gesture, "Thank you. I already have so much to juggle now that the Viziers have returned and the work that needs to be put into the reconstruction. Not to mention Faob potentially allying with my mother. I'm getting attacked at all sides."  

"Well not all sides." Marianne replied, stroking his back again, giggling when it made him shudder again. "I got your back remember?"

"I know, Tough girl." Bog chuckled. "Also, grumpy pinecone, really?"

"Would you prefer Boggy?"

"...No."

"I'll think of something better. In the meantime you're grumpy pinecone."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated in so long I'll try to update more regularly since the chapters are short and I have free time. Happy New Year! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! ^_^
> 
> I wanted to take time to actually describe the Willow Tree palace more during Faob's grand tour but nothing came to me >> perhaps I'll describe it better once construction is complete :D
> 
> It was fun developing Faob's character more with his interactions with the gang and Bog :D He ships Marianne and Bog just as much as Griselda heehee
> 
> And yay first look at the Viziers, wonder what they did to get on Bog's bad side? *points to my drabble "Don't Mess With Me"* well that kinda explains things but vaguely, I wrote that drabble before they even had names
> 
> Also for those curious about the hive mind ability the drumming song *point to drabble "The Drummer Boy"* this drabble explains it in more depth and I may even insert that drabble in somewhere later in the story :3 
> 
> Anyone who really loves this fic I recommend those two drabbles, they're in my Works 
> 
> Thank you Pikuna for helping me come up with Vizier as the official title for the Dark Forest council :D
> 
> Thanks for taking time to read the story! I love your feedback :D


	6. From Lost to Lucid

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marianne and Bog go out on a date and get to learn a little more about their past together.

Things began to settle down in the palace as the days passed, despite the Viziers’ presence. Marianne and Bog were going through reports as they headed to Bog’s study where they would be able to work more efficiently. They were just about to turn the corner when they nearly ran into Faob.

“I've figured it out.” Faob grinned, tabbing his chin thoughtfully. 

“Oh no.” Bog winced. Here it comes.  

“Figured out what?” Marianne asked curiously.

“How to get you two to go on a date.” His smile growing, he looked rather pleased with himself. “Okay, shoo get out, go off and have a nice day together.”

“What?” They both replied, baffled by what Faob was implying.

“Must I spell it out for you?” Faob sighed before walking up to the two, placing a hand on their shoulder before proceeding to shove them out of the closest window.

“Are you seriously trying kicking us out of the palace, Faob?!” Bog yelled, gripping the frame of the window, struggling to keep them inside the building.

“Desperate times call for desperate measures.” Faob added, with one final push he shoved them out and they had to hold on each other’s arms to steady themselves.

“You ARE serious!” Bog growled. 

“Yes I am, I made sure to clear up your schedules. The Amber will be taken care of. Also Marianne, Dawn understands you won't be able to make it for lunch and says to have fun!” Faob grinned widely. “So everything is set for your two to disappear for the day.”

“And the Viziers?” Bog raised an eyebrow.

“You let me worry about them, Bogger.” Faob waved him off.  

“That doesn't make me feel better.” Marianne spoke up, looking up at Bog with a look that read, ‘does this happen often?’

“I second that.” Bog replied, nodding to confirm Marianne’s suspicions.

“Come on you two, I have reliable sources that tells me that you two have been working none stop for days.” Faob crossed his arms and they couldn’t argue with that. “You need some time for yourselves. Trust me.”

Bog gave him a look and sighed, “Faob you have never been in a relationship in your life.” 

“That's why I have an expert.” Faob hummed, smiling pleasantly when Griselda appeared into view.

“Hi.” She waved at them with her own smile.

“Mother!” Bog yelled, he should have known she would have been involved.  

“Hey, you two need to spend more one together outside of working. Get to know each other better!” Griselda snapped at them. Bog and Marianne look at one another, they knew Faob and Griselda had a point.

“Well...If it's alright with you, Marianne?” Bog asked, a bit more timidly than Marianne expected but she couldn’t help but smile.

“Sure, why not?” What harm could come from them being away for the rest of the day? Marianne stopped right there to keep away worse case scenarios from forming in her head.  

“Happy now you two?” Bog asked, glaring at his mother and friend.

“You can thank me later.” Faob grinned playfully before reaching over to close the window.

Although it was muffled the couple could hear Griselda from the other side. “I've been trying to get them to leave the house all week!”

“Sometimes you have to be blunt.” Faob added, chuckling when he could practically feel the daggers Bog was glaring at him. 

“You two behave!” Griselda quickly yelled through the window. 

Bog groaned, talking Marianne's hand as he led her into the forest before he had to suffer anymore at the hands of his small family. He kept flying with a scowl on his face until they the castle was out of sight and didn’t seem like he was going calm down any time soon.

“Oh just relax Bog, think of it like an adventure.” Marianne giggled, gently squeezing his hand to reassure him. “Where are we even going anyway?”

“I actually hadn’t gotten that far in the plan. Just wanted to get out of earshot.” Bog sighed, coming to a stop and hovering beside her. He took a glance towards the direction of the castle before returning his gaze to her. 

“What? Does Faob have super hearing?” Marianne teased and Bog just grimaced. Her smile faltered a bit and Bog couldn’t help but chuckle.

“He has very good hearing but he wouldn’t hear us from this far. Still, don’t want to risk it.” Bog shrugged, rolling his shoulders to relax them. Being shoved out of the window was certainly not easy on him. He still had some aches from when the previous goblin castle landed on him. “Where would you like to go, Marianne?”

“Hmm, take me somewhere you haven’t shown me yet.” Marianne smiled, remembering fondly their first flight through the forest. “Have any place in mind?”

Bog stroked his chin, trying to think of somewhere that would interest Marianne when he noticed her sword at her hip. “…I just might.”

“Lead the way.” With that Bog took off into the forest.

“I still can’t believe Faob did that. I mean, I CAN believe but still!” “I should have known mother was a part of this little plan, the nerve of her!”

“I’m sure they mean well.” She couldn’t help but giggle at Bog’s frustration.

“I know but that quip of wanting grandchildren.” Bog blushed brightly, looking away quickly as he cleared his throat, “I mean, it's only been a week and she wants us to just rush in!”

Marianne couldn’t help but giggle before she clasped her hands together and batted her eyelashes mockingly. “They can't help it!” 

“Still, I know what you mean.” She sighed, brushing her hand across one of those curly plants they had seen on their first flight. “My dad is kind of being the opposite.”

“What? You mean take things really slow?”

“Even slower, I’m sure. I can see it in his eyes every time he's visits. Sure, not all of that advice is bad. He wants me to really get to know you and to be very sure I want to go through with this with you. Which I do.” Marianne replied, visibly seeing Bog relax. She offered him a smile and gently took his hand in hers.

Marianne understood her father had her best intentions. That he realized the mistake he made with Roland and how he made her feel pushing her back to him again. It felt good he was starting to understand but now it felt a bit overbearing. Maybe that was what Dawn felt with all the hovering and worrying.  

“I say give it some time. He’ll come around.” Bog replied, intertwining his fingers in hers.

“I know but still. It’d be nice if he trusted me a little more. I feel like I can’t kiss you in the same castle as him without sensing his cautious presence,” Bog couldn’t help but laugh at that and Marianne swatted him with her wing.

“Also if you ever do anything Roland would do I’ll bury you alive in the ruins of the old castle,” Marianne hummed so sweetly Bog winced.

“I hereby give you permission to do so if I ever do.” Bog raised his hand in oath before gently squeezing her hand to assure her he’d never do anything remotely close to what Roland would do. 

“Still, we kind of did rush in with all this ‘falling in love’ stuff if you think about. It was one night after all.” Marianne added before something came to mind. “Hey, do you mind if I ask a strange question?”

“By all means.” Bog perked at the seriousness of her voice.

“I don’t know. Have we met before? Like before that night? Maybe back before the Kingdoms drifted?” Marianne knew she was just a child when this happened and she honestly couldn’t remember much back then. To her the Dark Forest seemed like a scary place from bedtime stories and superstitions and she often forgot the borders were once open in her lifetime.

“Well, there is something I do remember…” Bog smiled warmly as he turned to face her.

“Really? What it is?” Marianne asked curiously and Bog couldn’t help but chuckle at the excitement in her eyes.

“It’d be better if I showed you.”

“Show me?”

Bog nod his head and offered her his hand has the amber on his staff began to glow. Marianne took it, watching has he placed their hands on the staff as the light grew brighter. She had to close her eyes when the light became too unbearable.

…

Once the light died down, Marianne opened her eyes and could see they were on the ground near a small creek. She looked around and Bog was beside her. He offered her a light smile and motioned with his staff towards the dense brush nearby.

A small whimper caught her attention and she looked over to see a small fairy child crouched by a sapling.

By the looks of it she was only a toddler. Her hair brown hair poofy and messes with a few twigs and leaves here and there. She was curled up, small purple wings wrapped around her as she sobbed, too quietly for them to make out a reason.

There was a rustle in the leaves somewhere behind her. When Marianne looked up she noticed something move from behind the tree. 

The child looked up, tilting her head to see what was nearby. A dark figure stood barely visible behind the tree. The child couldn’t quite see it at first until she noticed a pair of bright blue eyes staring at her, almost panicked as if unsure what to do. She looked at this strange creature from head to toe. Its skin was so dark and coarse, it nearly blended into the bark of the tree.

“Um…hi…” It said timidly, shifting a bit and the light caught on to its iridescent wings. Marianne’s shrieked made the creature jump back, thinking he had frightened her but to his surprised she ran straight for him.

His wings fluttered as he quickly side stepped to avoid the deranged child. He winced when the girl tripped over her own feet and crashed to the ground. Though, to his surprise she shook it off rather quickly and she looked up at him, not pleased he had moved out of the way. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of his child.

She sat up before trying to reach out for him. Out of reflex he stepped out of her reach again. Once more she tried to reach for him and again he would step out of reach. The child laughed, making a game out of it but he didn’t understand.

“Why aren’t you afraid of me?!” He asked sharply and the child jumped back a bit.

Her arm was still stretched out in front of her to reach him and she let it drop to her side. She smiled from ear to ear, cupping her hands behind her back, “Because you’re fun!”

“No, I wasn’t playing with you, you wee beastie. Why weren’t you afraid of me when you saw me? And why did you scream like that?!” He asked, not understanding this tiny loud creature at all.

“Beastie.” She giggled at the word, her smile never faltering.

“Where are your parents?” He sighed. It wouldn’t be right just to leave her here on her own.

“I got lost. You were the first one I saw. I was scared but only until I saw you!” She replied, running up to hug his leg. She was too fast for him to stop her and he sighed, looking down at her. “Do you know where everyone else is?”

“Everyone? Oh, the migration.” He sighed, unconsciously pats her head, “Yes I know where they are. Here, take my hand. Let’s head back. Your parents are likely worried sick about you.”

“Okay,” She replied, taking his hand without hesitation and he just stared at her for a moment. She was so tiny, one of her hands could barely hold onto to two of his fingers.

“Your hands feel like trees.” She giggled. “When I saw you I thought you were a tree!”

“Not the first time I’ve been told that.” He replied, watching her as they walked.

She swung their arms back and forth. He bared it only because he had younger cousins her age, he could manage watching over a child. Still it was strange to be this close to a fairy. He hasn’t had much experience with fairy children since they were always too scared of him to get close anyway.

“What’s your name?” The fairy asked, grinning up at him from ear to ear. It was astonishing that she had been scared and upset only minutes ago.

“Um, Bog.” He replied.

“Bog?” She repeated as if testing out how to say the name. “I like it!”

“Um, thanks?” Bog rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. He still wasn’t sure to make of child. Most fairies would have run off by now scared out of his mind by now. “What’s your name?”

“My name is Marianne.” She beamed brightly.

The edge of Bog’s lip twitched a bit and he nodded. “Marianne. Hmm that name is…lovely.”

“Yay!” Marianne giggled, delighted as she jumped up. Her purple wings fluttering behind her excitedly.  

This time Bog couldn’t resist smiling.

…

The memory began to fade away as it came to the end and they were back in the air flying above the forest. Marianne looked around, just to make sure if everything around them was real. Bog watched her with a smile as she turned back to face him.

“Whoa, that was…” She said with a sparkle in her eyes that made his heart skip a beat. “That was amazing!”

Marianne jumped up in the air, taking Bog’s hands, twirling them around excitedly. “You were right, we did meet before! Not that I think you’re a liar or anything, I just mean watching it…It felt like a dream but even better because it really happened! It’s just…Thank you for showing me.”

Bog gave her a warm smile, gently cupping her cheek and stroking it gently. “You’re welcome, Tough Girl.”

He really wasn’t sure what else to say. He knew Marianne would have reacted strongly to an old memory but not this strongly. Still, he was glad she was happy.

“How old were we? Like 5 and 10?” Marianne asked, grinning, resting her hand over his.

“Yes, but I believe I was about 13 at the time. I’m much older than you remember, wee beastie?”

“Yeah, I can tell old man.” She grinned, imitating an elderly voice, taking his Staff and pretending to walk in the air and using the staff as a cane.

Bog gave her a deadpan look, “Yes, very funny ya wee devil.”

“Oh now I’m a wee devil?” Marianne giggled, she still needed to figure out a good nickname for him but it would have to wait. “Sorry, I’m just so excited! I hardly remember anything from when I was a kid so technically this would be my first memory, meeting you.”

“Is that so?” Bog sounded surprised but Marianne’s expression only softened as she looked down at the staff.

“Yeah…And what you did with your staff, what you showed me…” Marianne smiled, looking at their small reflection on the crystal fondly before handing it back to him. “It was like really being there.”

“That’s because in a sense we were there.” Bog replied softly as he took back the staff and gently tapped the amber. “The Life Amber doesn’t just preserve memories, it also preserves emotions, sounds. You name it. It’s in here.”

“But how does it work?” Marianne asked curiously.

“Well, like all gemstones, their raw forms hold little special properties yet each have potential for greater power. Each if different and once enchanted gems take on their magical properties.” Bog explained as he motioned for her to continue to follow him through the forest. “Amber is actually quite rare but its main purpose is preservation. What it preserves could range from memories even to objects and living beings.”

“Living beings?” Marianne couldn’t help but gasp.

“A very old art of magic. Not very common anymore considering how much Amber is needed to entomb someone and it has become scarce. It was mostly used for prisoners.” Bog explained, perking when Marianne gave him a dark look.  

“You’re lucky that tradition isn’t common anymore because I swear if I had found Dawn trapped in amber when I came to rescue her…” Marianne warned.

“You probably would have still tried to actually kill me but you would have faced the problem of not knowing how to release her.” Bog replied with a teasing smile.

“Hmm, good point…” Marianne said thoughtfully. “So amber is really powerful isn’t it?”

“Yes, very and even dangerous if used improperly.” Bog replied and he looked like he was about to continue when he closed his mouth quickly. It was as if he was about to say something he didn’t mean to have her know.

“What is it?” Marianne tilted her head.

“It’s…nothing.” Bog said after a moment.

“If you say so…” Marianne noticed Bog seemed lost in thought and gently brushed her wing against him to get his attention.

“Thank you for showing me that memory. I just wished I could have remembered it on my own. Still, it was nice of you to give me a reminder.” She offered him a smile. It really did mean a lot to show her this small memory. “And you looked pretty adorable as a kid.”

Bog couldn’t help but laugh. “If you say so and you’re welcome. I haven’t thought about those times in so long it feels like a dream. Things were…simpler back then.” He forced a smile, but there was a hint of sadness in his eyes. “I don’t blame you for not remembering…a lot has happened to you, to both of us since then. Some memories are just meant to fade away…”

Marianne perked at the change in his tone and gently intertwined her fingers with his. Bog offered her a weak smile and he sighed softly as they continued on with their flight through the forest. “The following year after we met there was a lot of unrest in the Dark Forest. Well there was always unrest but it got worse, shortly before the last migration before the fire.” 

“What happened?” She asked softly, she didn’t want to force an answer out of him if he preferred not to talk about it.

“…I was heading out with Faob and an older cousin of mine, Rowan. He was an ambassador for the Dark Forest and had some work to attend to in the Light Fields.” Bog explained, “I wanted to introduce you to Faob since we had become close friends during the last migration but on the way there a riot broke out between two goblin factions within the Dark Forest.”

“There was infighting?” Marianne couldn’t help but sound surprised. She knew by nature goblins were territorial and battle oriented but it was still surprising to hear.

“Aye.” Bog replied, his voice sounded distant. His mind was clearly elsewhere and the Life Amber began to glow again. Marianne looked around as another memory began to materialize around them. She looked at Bog puzzled but her attention was drawn to a voice in front of them.

…

"Bog, I need you and Faob to get out of here now." A tall, lean goblin that looked as if it were wearing robes and a headdress said calmly, trying not to alarm the young heir and his friend. There was a large group of goblins ahead of them that was growing more agitated by the second.

"Rowan, I don't like this...You should come with us..." The younger Bog replied, looking up at the aggressive goblins and then to his cousin.

"Bog, I mean it, go now!" Rowan hissed, glancing quickly back at Bog.

A commotion in the crowd started up and suddenly the sound of blades clashing echoed in the air. Before they knew it, Rowan grabbed Bog and Faob and started to run in the opposite direction of the battle. While he ran, one of the goblins noticed them try to escape and closed in quickly. Rowan cried out in pain as the goblin stuck him down and he stumbled falling to the ground, losing grip of the two young goblins.

"Rowan!" The young Bog cried out, trying to stand before screaming in pain as he felt a mace connect to his back, tearing through his wings and he collapsed to the ground.

…

Marianne covered her mouth and gasped. She was shocked to see a powerless child, Bog no less, injured by the larger goblin. She couldn’t look away, her stomach churning to see blood covered his iridescent wings. Then she felt Bog’s grip tighten around her hand.

“Bog? Are you okay?” She asked, seeing his eyes were locked on his younger counterpart.

Her voice seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in and the memory quickly faded.

“I-I’m sorry.” Bog said after a moment, taking a deep breath before looking down at her. “I hadn’t meant to show you that memory. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

“I’m actually more worried about you.” Marianne replied, pushing aside the sick feeling in her stomach. “What happened? You spaced out and then we saw those memories…You didn’t look like you summoned them yourself this time…”

“Ah…well…How do I explain this…? At times it can be easy to get lost in memories the staff carries.” Bog tried to explain, hoping it would make sense though he flinched when Marianne only seemed to grow more alarmed. “I’m fine. Really. It doesn’t happen often and everything is under control.”

Marianne bite her lip and nodded, though Bog could tell she was not completely convinced. He decided hearing more about what happened might calm her.

“Generations of memories are held within the staff, granting Monarchs of the Dark Forest assess to its wisdom. In a sense this knowledge is also linked to our own memories but carries of the staff are still their own person no matter how many memories we carry through the staff. Does that make sense?”

“I think so…” Marianne sighed softly, stroking his cheek gently.

Bog sighed, wrapping two fingers around her hand, unsure how else he could explain the properties of the staff with an outsider. “It would be easier to explain with the aid of the Viziers. Perhaps once they cool off we can ask the answers you seek, alright?”

“Alright.” Marianne sighed, relaxing a bit and Bog offered her a reassuring smile.

“Good, now I suppose I should explain the memory we just saw a bit, it might help put your mind at ease. I’m sorry it scared you.” Bog replied and Marianne offered him a weak smile.

“I’m fine. I’m more worried about you.” Marianne replied.

“Well, I’m standing here today as you can see. The three of us made it out okay that day. A little broken and battered but alive.” Bog assured her, before landing on a nearby tree root and turning around to show her his wings and back. Old pale scars littered his back where the goblin had struck him and Marianne realizes some of the tears in his wings must have come from the attack as well.

She landed behind him, tilting her head to inspect each of the scar while Bog remained silent. She raised a hand to touch one of the larger scars, but stopped inches from it. She glanced up at him and he simply nodded before she ran her fingers along the rough hide. Bog flinched at the touch but said nothing and relaxed at her gentle touch. He wasn't used to anyone touching him like this but he didn’t mind if it was her.

“How long did it take you to heal?” Marianne asked softly.

Bog tilted his head back trying to remember. It had been a long and trying healing process, magic helped but he couldn’t remember exactly how long it took to heal. It was hard to narrow down between months or years.

“That's not important. You should have seen the protesters. My father is usually quite calm, firm leader but when he found out what happened to us he went off. Though, my mother was the worst of it, teeth and claws. I'm pretty sure a few of the protesters disappeared after the incident.”

Marianne wasn't sure if he was kidding or not but she couldn’t help but laugh, even if it was to release some of the tension she was feeling. “Alright. I wouldn’t put it past Griselda to take out her fury on the people who hurt her little boy.”  

Bog chuckled weakly as he turned to face her, “Without a doubt.”

He sighed deeply as more memories from that time became vivid to him. “You know, tough girl, when you found out that I couldn’t come on the migration you got so upset you tried to hide to stay for the winter.”

“Really?” Marianne perked.

“Aye. No matter how much your mother and father warned you of the cold and the dangers you remained stubborn as ever. It took me sneaking out of the castle while I was still recovering to knock some sense into ya.” Bog smiled before his expression dropped.

“Bog, you okay?” Marianne asked softly.

“There was so much chaos and confusion after that migration. For a while people even feared war would break out. The only time I saw you was when I found out what happened to our people, your mother and my father…I had to say a lot of goodbyes that day.” Bog almost whispered before Marianne embraced him tightly, surprising the goblin.

“Thank you for telling me this. I know it can’t be easy.” Marianne said to him softly, “So much time has passed and so much has happened but at least now we have time to make new memories, hopefully happy ones.”

Bog laughed softly and hugged her back. “Aye, I suppose you’re right.”

“Of course I am.” Marianne smiled, resting her head against his. “This is your fault you got me to be sappy.”

“Well, all things considered I am rather touched by your words.” Bog chuckled, stroking her cheek gently.

“If you say so,” Marianne giggled, leaning to his touch. “Dawn would kill us if she found out we ended up talking about sad memories during out first date.”

“Good thing the date hasn’t started yet.” Bog grinned.

“What do you mean?” Marianne asked curiously.

“We’re here.” Bog replied, taking her hand, leading her up a hill. With all the excitement and memories Marianne almost forgot they had a destination.

“Where?” Marianne asked, looking around, as they neared the top of the hill.

“The Boneyard Arena.” Bog motioned to the valley below them and her breath caught as she followed his gaze.

Down below them where thousands of bones, many arrange into a large tower like structure. Each bone exquisitely placed on top of each other to create platforms and seating for a large audience while on the ground below several more bones littered the battle field.

“What do you think?” Bog asked curiously, hoping this place would be to her pleasing.

“I don’t know what to say…” Marianne said softly, looking around in awe. Initially, she felt a bit of fear seeing so many animal bones scattered around but her curiosity won her over. She could practically feel this place had years of history, she just had to take a closer look.

Making her way down the hill, Marianne flew over the towering wall and landed in the middle of the arena while Bog followed close behind her.

“Every bone here is from great hunts over the generations and for many goblins it’s been a rite of passage to bring the bones of your first kill here. That bit of trivia was free.” Bog replied with a smile and he circled Marianne. “Now I know you love stories, so I figured you would like to learn the history of this place but just standing around and talking is boring.”

“Is that so?” Marianne crossed her arms and couldn’t help but smirk.

“Yes and for sake of tradition, draw your weapon.” Bog smirked, raising his staff towards her. “If you want to learn more of this arena you have to earn it, tough girl.”

“I like where this is going.” Marianne grinned, unsheathing her sword, raising it towards Bog.

“I figured you’d like this.” Bog grinned before striking at her but his attack was easily parried. “But this is just the start.”

“That’s what I like to hear.” Marianne grinned before lunging to strike again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIIIIIVVVEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I'm sorry I took so long to update I promised this chapter 2 weeks ago on tumblr but life got stressful and yeah, anyway I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to update soon but finales are coming up in a month but after that summer break starts so hopefully I will have much more time to work on it then thank you all for your patience! 
> 
> If you like what you see please tell me I would love to hear what you guys think XD also what inspired me to finish this chapter was the song "Where Butterflies Never Die" by Broken Iris, it's a really good song for the vibe LLTK has I recommend listening to it I've settled the song fits Dirk the best ^_^ again I hope you guys enjoyed the chapter! I'll try to update soon!


	7. Chain of Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the new chapter sorry for the long wait but it's longer this time at 10K words! Also I borrowed some lyrics from three songs, "New Day Coming" by CFO$, "Don't Mess With Me" by Temposhark and "The Chosen Ones" by Nine Lashes, I recommend to listen to these whenever you see someone singing, their lines are italicized, our lovely singers in this chapter are Galen and Bog, normally I wouldn't use songs for my fic but they felt appropriate and I won't do it often 
> 
> WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH AND GORE 
> 
> I also homage the drabble "Don't Mess With Me" which you can read it's in my works! 
> 
> Alright have fun! Thanks Steph for beta reading you are the best!!

Roars and stomping echoed throughout the Bone Yard arena, filled with spectators waiting for the duel of the century to begin. Tensions had risen between the King and Prince of the Dark Forest. Their ideals and beliefs too different it was tearing their people in two. Now was the time to settle things once and for all.

The crowd hushed for a moment when a bone white sidhe entered the arena. The goblin carried a copper trident, the prongs made from amber. He walked with long strides to the center, his pale spiky armor gave him a predatory look.

“Long live Argo!” Many in the crowd began to chant. “The Berserker King!”

Argo grinned and raised the trident over his head, exciting the crowd as their chants grew louder. Smirking, he turned toward the gate his opponent would soon emerge from.

“Galen, surrender now!” He snarled, “This is a folly! You know you cannot win!”

From inside the gate, Galen clenched his fist. The younger goblin’s appearance was a striking contrast to Argo’s pure white armor. Instead, Galen’s armor was much darker, like damp soil and his exoskeleton was sleeker and sharpened.

“He seems confident.” A woman spoke up behind him. “Overconfident in my opinion.”

“Avira?” Galen turned towards the voice and his heart sped up. Though, he couldn’t see her, the woman wore a long cloak made from evergreen leaves and a bird mask.

“Hello, Galen.” Avira replied casually as she removed her mask. Galen smelled a faint scent of flowers, a common aroma for fairies.

“Avira, what are you doing here?! What if you were caught?” Galen hissed, his ears flicked slightly and he only relaxed a bit once he sensed no one was nearby or heading to the room. Still, he couldn’t help but worry, the arena was crawling with goblins who wouldn’t hesitate to rip her apart.

“Don’t worry, I wore a disguise!” Avira replied, her voice was light and carefree as she tried to put the blind goblin’s mind at ease.

Bog and Marianne observed the memory in silence nearby. Marianne studied Avira for a moment, admiring her olive color skin and dazzling blue eyes. A flash of iridescent light behind her and they briefly caught a glimpse of Avira’s dragonfly wings beneath her cloak before she turned back to face Galen.

Marianne looked back and forth between the goblin and fairy before stealing a glance at Bog. She could definitely see the family resemblance.

“I just wanted to wish you good luck.” Avira smiled a bit sheepishly as she looked away.

“Heh. Something tells me I’ll need more than luck.” Galen sighed a bit. He turned his head towards the arena. The sound of his father as he riled up the crowd did nothing to calm his nerves.

“Then how about this…” Avira said softly, as she took his hand, before her tone turned serious. “If you die, I’ll kill you.”

Galen stood there stunned before he burst out laughing. He smirked and leaned forward to be at eye level with her. “Why, Avira! It almost sounds like care about me!”

Avira glared at him, annoyed he wasn’t taking her seriously as she blushed lightly. She’ll just need to give him a reason to. With that, Avira closed the space between them and pressed her lips against his.

His lips were rough but warmer than she had expected. Her heart was racing, unsure if he would reciprocate her feelings. Either way, she needed to let him know; she was terrified for his life.

Galen tensed, eyes widening as she kissed him. He was sure his heart stopped beating. When she said she was here to wish him luck he certainly wasn’t expecting this. A small smile curled at the edge of his lips and he closed his eyes as he returned the kiss.

The kiss became more passionate, desperate even. Both fairy and goblin were fully aware this may be their final moment they shared together. Neither wanted it to go to waste.

After a moment, Galen heard a horn blare outside and they both pulled away, knowing it was his signal to head out into the arena.

Avira gripped his hand tightly as they rested their foreheads against one another. “Stay safe, Galen. And come back to me…”

“I promise…And if I don’t…” Galen said softly before Avira immediately cut him off.

“You’re going to come back and you’re going to be king.” She snapped. “Now go, wouldn’t want to keep your father waiting.” She added a bit mockingly as she stole a glance out to the arena to Argo.

“Of course not.” Galen chuckled weakly, kissing her hand gently to help stop them from shaking before he stepped away. “And when I’m king I will do all I can to end the war between the Dark Forest and Light Fields. I promise you.”

“I’ll be with you every step of the way.” Avira said softly as she put her mask back on.

Galen offered her a weak smile and took one last deep breath before he stepped out into the arena.

Bog and Marianne followed the memory of Galen and flew up to the stands to observe the duel from above. Galen walked to the center of the arena silently, half the crowd cheered while the other jeered at his arrival. Argo smirked and turned to face him as he sensed him approaching.

“To think I live to witness the death of my first heir and now here I am moments from killing my youngest son.” Argo laughed, the blind goblin didn’t seem to be the least bit bothered by the situation. “A son who wants to surrender the Dark Forest to the fairies. I almost wonder how things would have been like if your brother hadn’t died in place of your life.”

“Do not bring Morticai into this.” Galen hissed, throwing his arms back to unsheathe his arm blades.

“Such a waste, for him to die to save someone so weak. He would have done a better job keeping the fighting spirit of our people alive and bring glory to the Dark Forest." Argo laughed heartedly and Galen gritted his teeth.

“If that’s the king you thought he would become you didn’t know him at all.” Galen snarled, before charging straight for Argo.

Argo smirked, raising the staff off the ground. “And so it begins.”

Argo quickly struck the ground, causing bone dust to fly into the air. Galen quickly moved back, as he felt the dangerous particles aggravate his nose. If he breathed in too much it could kill just as easily as a blade.

He expected his father to pull something like this. He always did like to keep him on his toes.

Galen lifted a hand and summoned glowing orb like spirits around him to clear the air. He tensed, sensing the air rush beside him and he barely had time to dodge the tips of Argo’s trident. Galen winced when he felt the weapon graze his side and nick his armor but not deep enough to cut through. He quickly side stepped and rolled to make some distance between them.

“You haven’t even landed one shot, Galen!” Argo laughed mockingly. Galen said nothing, he would not allow his father to make him do something reckless.

Both warriors wasted little time to strike at each other. They sent volleys of both physical and magic attacks without hesitation. Marianne was amazed by the sheer power in these two warriors. It was like nothing she had ever seen before.

Argo jumped back onto a pile of bones as he dodged Galen’s attack. He perked a bit and raised his staff and the bones at his feet began to shift and contort.

A blood curdling shriek echoed in the arena as the bones of a rat assembled in front of Argo. The bones held together by a dark aura concentrated over its heart. Argo smirked and pointed his trident towards Galen, the rat lunged at the younger goblin.

Galen had no time to move before the rat spirit was on top of him and he could feel sharp teeth skin through his exoskeleton and into the soft flesh beneath. He screamed out, his vision going white for a moment from the pain. He kicked up and tried to strike the spirit’s life force but there was little he could do.

The spirits aiding him quickly surrounded the rat spirit and set off small explosions around it to get it to let go of Galen. The rat screamed, startled by the white hot light and Galen quickly rolled free away from the rat.

He winced, holding onto his left shoulder tightly and hissed in anger. He wouldn’t be able to get to Argo with that thing taking chucks out of him. His senses were a bit clouded from the attack but he could still pinpoint where the rat’s life force was, he just needed to get close again.

Without hesitating, Galen ran straight for the rat spirit and ducked at the last moment to slide beneath it. With a swift strike, he plunged his right arm blades through concentrated aura, severing it from the bones. He quickly sent wisps to the dark aura and ordered them to free the corrupted spirit.

With one final cry, the rat spirit burst into a ray of light, blinding the audience. Though, it didn’t seem to bother the two blind warriors or the other sidhe in the crowd.

Argo roared out and rose his hand to raise the fragments of the rat’s bones from the ground. With a flick of his hand, the shards rained down onto Galen. The younger goblin quickly summoned the wisps and they created a barrier to block most of the bone shards from piercing through his armor. Once the barrier disappeared Argo wasted little time and pounced down, trying to impale Galen with the trident.

Marianne was caught between being in awe or completely terrified by how brutal this fight was becoming. She couldn’t get herself to look away.

From what she could tell, goblin magic involved summoning of spirits, the dead, and the use of shadows. Argo and Galen both had the same type of magic at their disposal but each used very different styles. Soon enough, the battle moved to the top of a large pile of bones.

“I will die before seeing the Dark Forest surrender to those fairies and traitorous elves!” Argo roared, baring his teeth as their weapons clashed.

“If that is your wish, father.” Galen spat out bitterly.

Argo growled as he ducked down and struck Galen’s feet with the end of the staff. Galen screamed as he fell from the pile of the bones, rolling down the sharp and jagged edges until he finally crashed to the ground. He didn’t have any time before Argo was on top of him, foot on his chest to keep him pinned down.

Galen tried to move before Argo could get the upper hand but was met with an unbearable pain from his chest. He cried out and grit his teeth as he sucked in a breath. He reached up, his hand slick with blood. He definitely broke something from the fall. That, plus the cuts and gashes from the fall and his inability to use his left arm, thanks to that lovely rat spirit definitely complicated things.

“Get up, weakling! Is that all you have to show for. After turning our people against one another this is it? Pathetic!” Argo snarled, raising his staff to impale Galen.

Time seemed to slow for a moment, the only thing Galen could think about was his people, the suffering caused from this senseless war. He couldn’t fall there, the needless bloodshed needed to end.

With a flick of his hand, Galen summoned spirits to his aid. The wisps rushed into the ground moments before the tip of the trident could pierce into Galen’s armor. Suddenly, roots erupted from the earth, guided by the spirits to bind Argo’s arms, legs and torso.

The goblins in the arena fell silent. Goblin magic was supposed to control spirits, to possess the dead, not possess something that was alive like the roots.

Argo roared out in anger, dropping his trident as he struggled to break free from the roots. It was no use; no amount of force could break or tear them. “What is this?!”

Galen got up shakily, wincing as he aggravated his wounds. He felt dizzy and had lost a lot of blood but he couldn’t stop there, he needed to end this once and for all.

He stood to his full height, making his way to Argo and sang softly under his breath, _“I’ll get back up for good this time I ain’t coming down. Yeah, I’ll get up ‘cause my whole life was lost and now I’m found.”_ He sang, remembering the heartache he felt when he lost Morticai, the torment he went through when Argo tried to ‘fix’ him to become a better king. It lead him to a dark place but he was able to find a way out.

He thought back to his comrades who remained by his side while they turned against the beliefs of their kingdom, of Avira who has been with him almost from the very start and of the future they all wanted to build.

Galen picked up a bone shard at his feet and approached Argo slowly, the crowd hushed. The future he wished for his people and the Light Fields was one that could not be obtained with Argo alive. He gripped the bone shard tighter, leaned down and whispered softly into his ear, _“It’s the dawn of a new day…”_

Marianne had to look away when Galen struck Argo but she heard the crack of the shard piercing through scales. She only turned back when she heard the roots return to the ground and watched as Argo’s body collapse.

Galen took a shaky breath as he knelt down to pick up the trident. The crowd stared in shock, most unable to speak after what they had just witnessed. Argo the Berserker King was dead. Galen stood to face the crowd, perking when he sensed heat coming off the staff as several of the wisps that had aided him in the battle surrounded him.

To the spectators and Marianne, they could see the staff transform from within the cluster of wisps. The tip of the trident began to unweave and the amber prongs melded together into one stone. The metal began to intertwine, creating a dream catcher design at the top of the staff. Once it was completely formed the wisps flew off. Galen smiled a bit before running a hand along the newly form staffed.

Fitting for it to be a dream catcher he supposed before raising the staff high over his head, _“It’s the dawn of a new day!”_

Many goblins began to cheer and sing with him, calling their new king: “Galen, the Dreamer King”

Galen was exhausted but kept his chin up high for his people.

“Wow…that was intense and uh, gruesome…” Marianne muttered softly to Bog, unsure what else to say after what she had just witnessed. “That rat…I honestly didn’t see that coming.”

“Yes, that’s goblin magic for you. At least the old magic, it’s no longer common but that’s just what things were like back then.” Bog hummed thoughtfully, glancing down at her. He rubbed her shoulder gently to help ease her nerves. “If things were still the same our first duel would have been a lot messier and far less enjoyable.” He added with a playful grin as he tried to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, no kidding…” Marianne couldn’t help but laugh a little. “Still, this was amazing to watch, if amazing is the right word? Really, I can’t even describe it. It’s like we were actually there just like before and it wasn’t even our own memory this time!”

“I figured you would enjoy seeing this with your own eyes.” Bog chuckled softly as he glanced back at the crowd of cheering goblins.

“Yeah, I was feeling pumped up when Galen got back to his feet! And he brought those roots from the ground to trap Argo!” Marianne grinned excitedly, feeling energized. “And the staff! It transformed!”

“And Avira and Galen!” Marianne couldn’t find the words to even describe them. They were nothing she imagined they would be, not that it was a bad thing. Just how they acted around each other, relaxed and carefree. She couldn’t help but laugh a little. “They actually kind of remind me a little of us.”

“Ah yes, the wee spitfire fairy and the awkward goblin. Yes, I can see it perfectly.” Bog couldn’t help but laugh and shook his head at the small fairy’s enthusiasm.

Marianne grinned at him before glancing at the staff in his hand, then back to the memory. “So, your staff is really the same staff Argo, The Berserker King wielded?”

“Aye.”

“Why did it change shape?” Marianne asked curiously.

“Magic.” Bog wiggled his fingers over the staff teasingly and Marianne gave him a look. “Okay, fine, but really, magic was involved in the transformation.”

“Go on.” Marianne replied, crossing her arms.

“The staff tends to emulate the person who wields it. Though, it’s kept this dream catcher appearance more or less since then.” Bog replied, looking over the staff, his eyes lingering on the Life Amber. “I think the staff sensed there a drastic difference between Argo and Galen so it changed accordingly based on their personalities.”

“So Argo was a trident and Galen was a dream catcher…” Marianne muttered softly and cupped her chin thoughtfully. “So, Galen wasn’t a warrior at heart maybe?”

“In a sense, he knew how to fight and to defend himself enough to be able to win the match but he did not have the lust for battle like many goblins at the time. That’s why he fought so hard to gain the throne.” Bog explained, looking to the memory of Galen with a weak smile.

Marianne took his hand gently before looking over at Galen and noticed the orbs of light floating around him. They were the same ones that shielded him during the match.

“I knew that wasn’t just fire, those are Will-o’-the-wisps right?” Marianne grinned excitedly.

“Yes they are,” Bog smiled, noting Marianne’s enthusiasm. “Galen was known to be sensitive to spirits since he was very young. Many of the Wisps that aided him were lifelong friends.”

“Really?” Marianne asked, “Are you sensitive to spirits?”

“No, not very much I’m afraid, at least to the degree he was.” Bog replied, watching her curiously. “Why do you ask?”

Marianne just grinned at him widely.

“What?” Bog asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I need to introduce you to Rose, Emerald and Viola.” Marianne replied, her grin not lessening in the slightest. “Why did it take me this long to realize I haven’t introduced you all?”

“Um…who?” Bog asked, growing a bit concerned with the possibility that Marianne could be going a little crazy.

“My sprites! Sorry if I wasn’t clear. Anyway! They’ve been with me since I was a kid and they’re like family to me so you have to meet them!” Marianne replied, practically bouncing on her heels.  
Bog looked at her puzzled before it clicked and he laughed, “Ah, now you make sense, tough girl. You’re spirit sensitive.”

“Yeah.” Marianne grinned widely. “I haven’t met many other people like me so since you’re related to Galen who is spirit sensitive I just got a little excited. Sorry if I startled you.”

Bog chuckled softly, smiling at her fondly. “Once I think I know all your surprises, it seems there’s another extraordinary thing to discover about you.”

Marianne perked a bit and blushed before she looked around trying to find something else to talk about. Her daze went back to the memory of Galen, except now he was surrounded by a large group of his followers including Avira. Bog followed her daze and smiled a bit. Marianne perked, seeing many wisps were still floating around Galen, she was still amazed how Galen was able to summon them to his will.

“So, how does goblin magic work? It’s like nothing I have ever seen before.” Marianne asked curiously, her mind couldn’t get off Galen and Argo’s duel. “Like that rat spirit or Galen using those spirits for the roots.”

“Had a feeling you’d be curious about that.” Bog added with a smile grin.

“Can you do anything like that?” Marianne perked up.

“What? No, no, magic like that is very rare in the Dark Forest these days. I have some magic but it’s not the same…Alright let me explain.” Bog took a deep breath as he tried to collect his thoughts before he looked back down at Marianne. “Alright, first off you know that Fairy magic life based and it’s very organized. It’s set into patterns and shapes in nature, correct? It gets its power through order and life.”

“Fairy magic isn’t common anymore but yeah that’s how it works,” Marianne replied, crossing her arms. Many magic bloodlines were actually targeted by both sides during the Light Field and Dark Forest war.

“Well, for the Dark Forest, our magic comes from chaos and death.” Bog explained, fairy and goblin magic were very much opposites of one another. “As you can guess our magic was the strongest during the war and still powerful during the civil war. Even fighting here in the arena gives our magic a boost because of the bones scattered about. Death, violence, conflict, that’s what fuels it.”

“Alright, I understand…” Marianne nodded, before a thought came to mind. “What about Aura then?”

“Oh, don’t even get me started, Plum is an entirely different level.” Bog shook his head. “You’ve never seen her making love potions, she’s a fairy, I think, so by logic her magic should be nature oriented, which it is since she uses flowers to make her motions but the magic she uses to create them is completely chaotic.”

“So would her magic be similar to a Dark Fairy?” Marianne tilted her head. Everyone called Aura a fairy but many weren’t even sure what she was really.  
Bog considered it, “You know, I have no clue really. I actually haven’t seen many Dark Fairies using magic before.”

“Really?” Marianne perked, “Do you have magic? Were you trained?”

“I was taught the basics by my father and some family members but even I don’t completely know what I’m capable of.” Bog replied.

“What can you do exactly?” Marianne couldn’t help but ask.

“Nothing Galen or Argo were capable of, that I’m sure of. I can use elemental magic, mostly fire but I don’t often find the need to use it, only contain it.” Bog replied, looking down at his hands and summoned a small spark of light to demonstrate to her.

“Contain it?” Marianne perked up and stared at the small flame before Bog closed his hand to extinguish it.

“Dark Fairies are an enigma in the magic realm. Their abilities from a mix of order and chaotic magic. So in a way, there is a constant push and pull of the magic that needs to remain stable.” Bog explained, dropping his hands to his side. “I personally don’t care much for my magic. It’s something that takes a lot of energy to control and maintain.”

“Sounds like you’re not a fan of chaos then.” Marianne noted.

“Exactly, chaos has caused my home and people too much despair.” Bog spoke softly. It was one of the fairy ideals he learned from his father he preferred over the Dark Forest. Order. “It’s difficult, trying to keep up the legacy my father and grandfather left me but I will do everything I can to make it a reality.”

Marianne nodded before looking back at the memory of Galen. “History books don’t give Galen justice at all. Seeing him fight for all he believed in, for everything he cared about…its mind blowing. It’s like I got to see exactly what kind of person he was…”

“Yes, you’re right.” Bog smiled and closed his eyes for a moment. “I never had the honor to meet him in person. He died of natural causes around the time I was born, give or take. So, I suppose having these memories will have to do for now until my own time comes and I go to Ómra.”

“Ómra…the City of Souls, right?” Marianne asked.

“Aye, a city beyond the veil in the spirit world.” Bog replied, looking down at her. “One of the few things most goblins, elves, and fairies still believe in, I suppose.”

“Well, you’re not wrong.” Marianne replied and followed his gaze. She remembered hearing stories of a place made of amber. Spirits roaming back and forth between this majestic city and the living world.

“You know, fairies believe that the spirits of those who’ve died go to Ómra before they’re reborn back into the earth through plants and living things like animals.” Marianne mentioned.

“Yes, my father told me such stories when I was young.” Bog replied, “Goblins believe in similar stories but we believe spirits can reincarnate back into living people.”

“Really? So, something like Galen or Avira’s spirits could be roaming around us as other people now?” Marianne asked bewildered.

Bog cracked a small grin. “Something like that. And we wouldn’t even know it.” He smirked, shaking his head as he waved away the memory but his expression dropped as his eyes set on the crowd, more specifically at the goblins that did not cheer for Galen.

“What’s wrong?” Marianne asked, noticing Bog’s change in mood.

“By all accounts to goblin tradition Galen won the match fairly.” Bog laughed a bit bitterly. “Funny to think, not even a year later a civil war broke out between Argo’s remaining Berserkers against Galen and his followers and for what? To continue the bloodshed? So much for tradition.”

“What?” Marianne looked at him surprised. “Why would they do such a thing? I mean if Galen won by tradition why didn’t they just accept it?”

“Hate I suppose.” Bog sighed in frustration, “You know they weren’t always called Berserkers, they were once called Keepers. They recorded our history, traditions, rituals, and magic, everything that’s important to our culture despite what you’ve learned of them.”

“Yeah, I think I’ve read something like this in some very old goblin texts I’ve studied…” Marianne replied, and rested a hand on Bog’s arm. “The Keepers only became corrupt and much more violent after Argo came into power. Then they took the name Berserkers, further showing how far they’ve fallen.”

“Exactly.” He replied.

“It’s not common knowledge in the Light Field’s I’m afraid to say.” Marianne sighed a bit and Bog gave her a weak smile.

“That needs to change.” He added and she looked at him curiously. “I’ve been considering sending some books from the Dark Forest to the Light Fields.”

“What kind of books?” Marianne’s eyes lit up.

“I was thinking along the lines our culture and significant historical events and people. Hopefully things that will help your people understand us a bit more.” Bog replied with a warm smile.

“Does…that include the fire?” Marianne asked curiously.

“Eventually yes, though I hope to be able to explain that story myself with the staff. There is a lot…that needs to be seen rather than heard…” Bog said, gripping his staff a bit before glancing at the direction of the new castle. “But the castle and my people need to be attended to first.”

Marianne was a bit surprised by that but she understood. She just really wanted to know what had happened, ever since she saw those visions she knew there had to be more to the story from what she had heard. Many of her people in hushed whispers would say Dirk was at fault for what happened, but was that actually true? No one but her had been there during the fire. Everyone else who had been there was dead and could not say what had really happened.

Marianne remembered nothing, except for the occasional flame in a dream, or the heat of the fire. She rested a hand over her arm guards. The only evidence she was even there was scarred tissue kept hidden from the world.

“Are ye alright, Marianne?” Bog asked, pulling Marianne from her thoughts as he gently touched her arm.

“Fine, just thinking.” Marianne shrugged lightly and dropped her hands to her side. “It’s just hard. Having been there but not knowing what happened.”

Bog said nothing and simply took her hand into his own and spoke to her softly, “In time you’ll know the truth. I assure you.”

“Alright…” Marianne sighed softly before a thought came to mind. “The fire…It happened somewhere here in the Dark Forest, right?”

“Aye,” Bog replied, “A place called the Field of Dreams. It’s a very sacred place for the Dark Forest where new Kings or Queens would perform their coronation ceremony among the spirits.”

“Oh? How does it work?” Marianne perked up.

“Hmm, it’s a bit similar to how the staff changed for Galen…It’d be easier to show you.” Bog replied and smiled when Marianne’s eyes lit up as he waved his staff to summon another memory.

With a wave of the staff, the Life Amber began to glow. Marianne perked, her eyes widen when Dirk stood before them with the Life Amber staff in his hands. This is the first time she had seen him in anything beside a vision of the fire. It was easier to get a better look at him.

Dirk stood before them, a little shorter than Bog. His skin was bronze and smooth like a fairy but he had a pointed nose. His leaf crest on his forehead was similar to Bog’s, except it had two curved horns sticking out at the ends just above his fairy-like ears. The crest looked very much like a crown. Though, the leaf fringe stopped at his forehead and the rest of his head was covered in auburn hair that bore similarities to Avira’s. Then there was his exoskeleton, he had a similar structure to Bog, though not as thin and far more colorful. His chest and several parts of his armor and tail had a hint of yellow and orange and his shoulders were a mix of reds and oranges.

Looking between Bog and Dirk, there was a striking difference between the two but at the same time Marianne could see they had many similarities, but the most astonishing were their eyes.  
“You two both have Avira’s eyes.” Marianne smiled.

Bog chuckled and nodded. “Runs in the family. Though, my eye sight is a bit better than my father’s.” Bog added and Marianne perked, looking back at Dirk and noticed the goblin King had a pair of amber tinted glasses on his face.

“So…this is the coronation?” Marianne asked, looking around. She had been so focused on Dirk she hadn’t had a chance to look around to see where they were.

She gasped out softly as the lush green field they were in and was even more surprised to see there were Will’-o-Wisps everywhere. Nearby, many goblins stood, watching and waiting to see what Dirk would do.

“Just wait a moment.” Bog smiled a bit as they stepped back, out of Dirk’s way as he stepped towards the middle of the field towards a large gathering of wisps with the staff held firmly in his hands.

Marianne watched him, noticing he was much younger than he’s looked in the visions she’s seen, he even younger than Bog by at least a few years.

The two watched in silence as Dirk approached the glowing wisps, many of them regarded him curiously, floating towards him, whispering softly and incoherently. Dirk smiled at the spirits solemnly, the recent death of his father still heavy in his mind.

Dirk came to a stop beside some sort of amber alter the wisps had hidden from view. Silently, Dirk set down the staff before taking out a small cloth and opened it to reveal another smaller piece of amber.

“Each member of the royal family carries a piece of amber with them not long after they are born. Like an heirloom and this piece of amber records important and meaningful events in their lives.” Bog explained, motioning to the piece of amber in the cloth. “That piece of amber belongs to my father. This piece of amber is necessary for the ceremony because the wisps aid in fusing this individual amber stone with the Life Amber.”

Marianne looked up at him surprised before quickly turning back to see the Wisps surround the end of the Life Amber while Dirk picked up his amber stone. She perked when the Wisps then surrounded Dirk and the staff as he fused the two pieces together.

“It’s also a bit like trial by fire.” Bog added, watching Marianne’s reaction before the wisps soon drifted away from Dirk and he smiled up at them unharmed.

“Wow, it’s beautiful to watch…Have the wisps ever harmed anyone?” Marianne asked curiously.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Who can ever tell with wisps what they have planned?” Bog chuckled, watching his father raise the staff off the amber alter to face his people, “They are rather mischievous.”

Marianne and perked to see Dirk approaching a much younger Griselda, carrying a small bundle in her hands. She almost couldn’t hold back a shriek in delight when she sees spotted the infant Bog in the small bundle.

Bog looked away, a bit bashful.

“So tiny.” Marianne couldn’t stop herself from saying as she watched infant Bog play with a small Wisp that had floated nearby.

Dirk smiled at his wife and newborn son and knelt down to embrace the two.

Bog let out a soft sigh and waved the memory away as he turned to walk away from Marianne.

Marianne perked a bit and walked over to him, resting a hand on his arm. “Hey, you okay?”

“Fine, it just feels like centuries…since I’ve seen my father…happy I suppose.” Bog replied, glancing down to her, “Not that he was a cold goblin or anything, he just always seemed a bit sad, especially towards the end.”

“Why?” Marianne asked curiously.

“Change is difficult when one of the finer goblin qualities are stubbornness.” Bog replied with a bitter smile.

“And fate hasn’t been kind to the forest, has it?” Marianne asked softly.

“Not at all.” Bog laughed a bit bitterly, though there was a sad acceptance in his voice. “Years of war with the Light Fields caused severe damage to the forest and its resources. It only grew worse when the civil war broke out. Since many of the Berserkers left were magic users they used the death and destruction around them to fuel their magic.”

“I never realized how powerful goblin magic is. Not until I saw Galen and Argo’s duel at least.” Marianne replied, still in awe of the power two very different people could wield. “Using shadows, the dead, spirits, it’s astonishing to think that power was more common back during the wars.”

“Magic certainly has become rarer these days.” Bog replied thoughtfully. “Some of the few things that held the Berserkers at bay in those times was Galen’s sensitivity to spirits and the ability to summon the roots in the earth.”

“How bad did the fighting get in those days?” Marianne asked, from what she’s seen the Dark Forest seemed to have healed a great deal from those times.

“Back when the tree was alive, the goblin castle was practically a fortress. Galen protected those he could but eventually had to send off noncombatants out of the Dark Forest for their safety.” Bog explained.

“Where were they sent to? How were they safe from the Berserkers?” Marianne asked curiously.

“Avira was able to work something out with the Queen of the Light Fields at that time to organize the people of the Light Fields and Dark Forest who were noncombatants to be moved to the Fairy Mounds.” Bog explained, he remembered hearing stories from his father that the borders were getting far too dangerous. “That location was much more fortified and deeper in the Light Fields than Berserkers would have been willing to venture to with so little numbers at their disposal. They kept trying to make tension between the two kingdoms.”

“Sounds like a nightmare.” Marianne replied, though she perked up at bit at the name. “Fairy Mounds? That’s a very spiritual place for us, it’s like the equivalent of the Field of Dreams for your people.”

“I remember hearing of that often from my grandmother.” Bog nodded.

“Yeah, many spirits roam around there and it’s a large system of hills and caves connected underground by tunnels like a labyrinth.” Marianne added.

“An ideal place to avoid detection from an ambush or attack. I’m amazed myself that my grandmother was able to secure that place of all places for the refugees.” Bog replied, smiling a bit fondly. “Still, the Fairy Mounds was the first time fairies, goblins and elves alike lived in one place with the common goal, to survive.”

“Really?” Marianne asked. There were so little stories of the Fairy Mounds besides the spirits. She hardly knew it was a place goblins, fairies and elves once lived in.

“Aye, Avira worked and lived there to better relations. At times during the civil war, when there was less conflict, Galen would to visit every now and then to check on Avira and the goblins.” Bog continued on. “Many elves and fairies were actually surprised by how Galen treated his people since many of them grew up with stories of the ruthless Berserker King. They knew next to nothing of Galen but his father’s reputation so what else could they think of him?”

“Sounds like it took a while for everyone living in the Mounds to get along.” Marianne sighed, crossing her arms. She’s glad at least now things were more or less going smoothly between the people aiding in the construction of the new goblin castle.

“It was difficult but Avira served well as an ambassador between the fairies, elves and goblins since she had spent time with each species prior. She quickly learned how to settle disputes.” Bog replied with a smile.

“Avira sounds like an amazing woman.” Marianne chuckled.

Bog’s expression softened and he gently stroke her hand, “She would have liked you…”

“I would have been honored to meet her.” Marianne replied, placing her hand over his.

“Anyway, where was I?” Bog asked to himself after a moment. “Alright, so with Avira’s help soon enough an understanding was formed. Everyone is just trying to do what they can to survive so they looked after one another.”

“It sounds nice…” Marianne said with a small smile and Bog watched her fondly. He would love for their people to be as close as those goblins and fairies were in the past. Hopefully excluding the impending doom of a war. Still, the sense of community and unity would be nice to experience.

“It took a few years before the Berserker threat was neutralized enough for the goblins to return to the Dark Forest,” Bog added, “And by then my father and many of the first Dark Fae children had been born.”  
Marianne’s eye lit up, “What were they like? I mean, you’re the only dark fairy I’ve ever met but you’ve had to have known more growing up, right?”

Bog chuckled softly, “I knew several Dark Fae. Many of them were family. Mostly distant cousins, uncles and aunts but many lived near the castle.” Bog added with a warm smile before his expression dropped a bit. “When the first generation of Dark Fae were born many outsiders weren’t sure what to make of them. Many fairies were even fearful of these hybrids. So, Galen allowed for the Dark Fae and their parents to come live in the Dark Forest. Many were still unwilling to accept them in Light Fields.”

Marianne nodded, she knew many fairies who weren’t willing to accept change or something different easily.

“Though, that doesn’t mean that the Dark Fae weren’t feared or rather misunderstood by both sides for a time but it was still a step forward for creating peace between the two kingdoms. Galen was more than willing to offer them a place to call home within the Dark Forest.” Bog added, a smile on his lips before his expression dropped a bit. “There aren’t very many of us left as you can imagine. Those who remained hated the way they were treated, the fear and anger directed at them by those that did not understand them.”

“What happened to them? The ones left?” Marianne asked curiously.

“They left. They journeyed south to the Emerald Coast the fall before I regained my throne and did not return that spring, and never have. They’ve made their own settlement there and didn’t look back. Who could blame them?” Bog sighed softly. “They were unwanted by many so they did the only thing they could do and left to find their own path.”

“So they’ve been there all these years?” Marianne asked.

“Aye. When I became King I sent word to offer them the chance to return to the forest but they made their choice. I still consider them my people and many still consider me as their King, mostly out of respect since I no longer govern their actions. However, if they ever wish to return the door is open.” Bog added.

“Do you miss them?” Marianne looked up at him to watch his reaction.

“Yes, a few of them were family. I try to make the journey now and then to visit and to see how they’re fairing. It’s been difficult, but they are thriving. I haven’t seen them in many years though. Life just got in the way I suppose.” Bog replied and offered her a weak smile.

“You can always visit them. Maybe this fall? When the fairies migrate south?” Marianne asked. “It’d be nice to have you around for the trip.”

Bog perked a bit and chuckled. “Perhaps, my hands a little full right now with the castle and other matters but I don’t think I’ll mind too much.”

Marianne grinned and hugged his arm and Bog chuckled again. “Oh, I almost forgot. You asked what Dark Fae were like…” Bog perked a bit and tapped his chin, “One thing you need to know about Dark Fae children, they were mischievous and energetic.”

“You must have caused your parents a lot of grief then.” Marianne chuckled and shook her head. “Jumping around all over the place.”

“I was a devil child, I will admit.” Bog chuckled. “Faob either helped keep me out of trouble or encouraged me. It was 50/50. When you added my cousins into the mix things were even more chaotic.” Bog laughed heartily before his expression dropped a bit again.

“Bog?” Marianne asked softly. She squeezed his hand gently.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…I lost a lot of family that night. During the fire. My grandmother, my cousins, their parents. There aren’t very many of us left really…I only hope I’ll be able to see them again one day…” Bog muttered softly, “Ah, we should probably change topics, I don’t wish to fowl the mood with such memories.”

Marianne embraced Bog tightly and startled him for a moment before he slowly returned the hug.

“I’m sorry, I know it’s hard to talk about but thank you for telling me.” Marianne replied and looked up at him. She may not remember but she also lost family that day. Not a day goes by where she doesn’t think about her mother. She couldn’t even imagine how Bog felt, how he lost almost his entire family to the fire.

“Hm, thank you for listening, Tough girl.” Bog smiled weakly and leaned down to kiss her gently. He normally wasn’t this open with the past but he was glad he had someone to talk to.  
Marianne couldn’t help but smirk as she snatched the staff from his hands and flew out of reach, “Ha! Don’t let your opponent distract and disarm you!”

Bog barked out a laugh, “That was a dirty trick, but I am not defenseless.”

With a grin, he extended the spikes on his arms and the duel was on again.

“Uh, almost forgot about those…” Marianne smirked and blocked an attack with the staff. She had to admit, he was a lot faster now.

Bog laughed as he tried to grab for the staff but missed by inches. “This isn’t the first time I had to fight to get that staff back!”

“Another thrilling story?” Marianne grinned and swooped down to avoid an attack.

“More or less. Galen wasn’t the first heir to have to fight for his crown.” Bog added with a grin, he flew up above her to get the upper hand, though Marianne quickly blocked the attack again.

“Too slow!” Marianne laughed and struck at Bog with the end of the staff. “And who did you have to fight?”

“The strongest and wisest warriors from all over the Dark Forest, it was a tournament of sorts.” Bog replied, quickly flew back to avoid the attack.

“Why did you have to fight if you were the rightful heir?” Marianne raised an eye brow.

“I…Had to disappear for a while, not along after my father died.” Bog said before he raised his arms up to block another attack.

“Disappear?” Marianne perked up.

“Fake my death is a more proper term.” Bog shrugged a bit, “There were…multiple assassination attempts. Hiding was the only way I could survive until I was of age to take the throne.”

“What?!” Marianne gasped, distracted enough to barely have time to block the attack and she looked at him shocked. “What happened?”

Marianne vaguely remembered some rumors floating around a few years. That the heir to the Dark Forest had returned miraculously. Everyone thought he was murdered, something about a conspiracy. She didn’t know all the details, all she knew was that before Bog’s return the Dark Forest was in a terrible state for many years. Things were so bad in the forest it caused tensions between the kingdoms since many goblins took to pillage villages along the border for food and supplies.

“Well, since my father was dead and out of the way many Berserkers wanted to groom me, to accept their ideals.” Bog sighed a bit, he moved back and sheathed his arms blades. He could see Marianne had lost focus and didn’t want to hurt her by accident. “I suppose I disappointed them, that’s why they sent an assassin after me.”

“That’s horrible! You were just a child!” Marianne yelled in disbelief.

“Indeed, but to them I was a pawn that could not be used so they wished to dispose of me.” Bog replied as he took her hand to help calm her. “Faob’s mother, Raela, our current spymaster aided my mother and I in our escape. Then, she and Faob lived with us for a time while we were in hiding.”

“That’s why you and Faob are so close right?” Marianne perked, she had a feeling with how they treated one another they must have grown up together like siblings. She could never imagine that they had to hidden for all those years.

“At times it often felt we only had each other.” Bog replied with a weak smile.

“Still, I don’t understand why the Berserkers would go after you like that.” Marianne muttered as she looked away and busied herself by studying the architecture of the arena.

“They saw me as an easy target and an inconvenience since I wanted to keep up my father's legacy to unite the Light Fields and the Dark Forest.” Bog replied as he looked down at her and offered her a weak smile. He knew it wasn’t fair but that’s how the Berserkers worked. “The fire put a massive rift in that plan as you can guess, though that didn’t stop me from wanting to try to mend things.”

“Dirk would be proud you kept his beliefs so strongly.” Marianne looked up at him with a weak smile.

“Indeed…I just hit a few snags along the way with having to disappear and the Dark Forest being run ragged again while they fought over who would become the next heir.” Bog added as he sighed softly.

“Eventually it fell to the Viziers to oversee things. That wasn’t exactly the best idea with Berserkers hiding in the shadows to control them like a puppet master.”

“The Berserkers had that much power?” Marianne perked up.

“They’re like roaches. You think you kill them all and you’ll always find them again once you flip over a rock.” Bog added and shook his head. “Growing up I saw the damage it caused, and once I regained my throne I had to pick up all the pieces and fix things within the forest.”

“Well that explains why the Dark Forest closed its borders a few years back…” Marianne noted.

“Yes, I had to think of my people first. There was too much to change and fix before I even considered going to the fairies to mend things.” Bog nodded and glanced over towards the forest. “Rather difficult when they blame your father for going berserk, leading to the death of almost an entire species and the Fairy Queen—Spirits! I’m rambling I didn’t mean to bring this up again or your…”

Marianne shook her head and held his hand, intertwining their fingers gently. “Bog its fine. You look like you’ve kept this in for a long time. You don’t need to keep apologizing.”

“Right, sorry…” Bog winced a bit but relaxed a bit and looked down at their hands. “I honestly don’t think I’ve talked to anyone about any of this besides Faob and my mother actually.”

“Then I’m honored you trust me then.” Marianne smiled at him warmly.

The two smile at each other and shared a quiet moment together. Bog leaned his head against hers gently and muttered a quiet thank you. Marianne smiled and stroked his cheek gently.

“So, do you have good memories of this place?” Marianne asked a bit teasingly.

Bog laughed softly, “Besides right now? Of course I do. A few actually. Fighting for my throne was actually one of the highlights of that whole ordeal. The look on everyone's faces when they recognized me!” He grinned, his wings flared up a bit as he motioned around at the arena.

“They didn't recognize you?” Marianne giggled as he moved away.

“I was wearing a disguise to hide my appearance. I fought my way through without the use of my wings, I wore a robe to conceal them and a bird skull like Avira’s to hide my face.” Bog grinned from ear to ear before he looked up towards the spectator box high above him.

He motioned Marianne to follow him up there and the two easily made their way up. There were a few seats carved out of the ancient bone where the Viziers and the King would observe the battle from.  
Bog allowed Marianne to take a look around before he spoke up again. “I spent my life, watching the Berserkers use the council like puppets to tear apart what my father and grandfather sacrificed for the Dark Forest. It only fueled my resolve to win my throne back.”

“Sounds like you actually enjoyed yourself.” Marianne replied with a light smile as she twirled the staff in her hands a bit as she took a look around.

Bog flashed her a wicked grin. “You could have seen the Viziers faces when they saw my robe get ripped off. When the light hit by wings for all to see. At first I was a bit terrified. I’ve kept a key part of my being a secret but then I was finally free. No more hiding. No one could mess with me.”

Bog smirked and easily took the staff from Marianne, she was about to protest but stopped short when he started to sing. _“So don’t mess with me.”_

Marianne perked a bit, when a hazy memory appeared around them. The arena was filled to the brim with spectators. Bog stood in the place of his past self while Marianne stood just in front of the Viziers who backed away from Bog as he stepped closer.

_“'Cause all your heads are gonna roll. I've made your misery my goal.”_ Bog sang as he stalked towards Marianne, remembering that day like it had happened yesterday.

Marianne perked and backed up as Bog stepped closer. She couldn’t help but grin a bit. The way Bog was stalking towards her reminded her of when she terrified Roland back in the ballroom, when she refused to get back with him and had to make it clear she never would.

_“So if you want survival kneel on my arrival.”_ Bog continued to sing until Marianne was backed against the wall. He leaned in close and practically whispered. _“For this is how I rule the world.”_

Marianne couldn’t stop herself from giggling as the memory faded away and Bog looked at her a bit bewildered. Why was she laughing? He was trying to be scary.

“What?” He asked.

“Sorry, I can’t help it.” Marianne tried to muffle her laughter with her hand. “You're just too adorable. But that was an excellent performance.”

Bog looked away, blushing as he grumbled under his breath, “I am not adorable.”

“Yes you are, you grumpy pinecone.” Marianne giggled and leaned up to kiss his cheek. It was hard to see him try to be scary now that she knew he was a softy inside.

“Why do you insist on calling me that?” Bog groaned.

“Because it is a given fact that you are grumpy and that you are a pinecone.” Marianne added and kissed his cheek again.

Bog groaned and turned away again and Marianne whined before she hugged him from behind. “Oh, come on, don’t be like that. Tell me another story!”

“What? More stories? I already told you so much today I assumed you’d be tired hearing me speak.” Bog asked surprised as he glanced back at her.

“Hmm I like your voice.” Marianne hummed as she buried her face into his back between his wings. Bog jumped a bit and had to stop himself from shuddering. “And I like to learn things about you, I feel like a hardly know a thing. So keep talking.”

Bog couldn’t help but chuckle a bit. “We have plenty of time to get to know each other but if you insist.” He smiled before tapping his chin to think to himself. “Fond memories…Most of the others were with my father and even of my cousins and Faob...”

“Oh?” Marianne perked and looked up at him.

“Aye, things like history lessons, training with him or just playing around, using some bones as armor and reenacting old battles before mother came down here to scold us for playing around all day before dragging us home.” Bog replied as he smiled fondly. Those were the good days.

Marianne giggled at the mental image of a young Bog running around with his father and cousins as they played around among the bones.

Bog glanced back at Marianne and smiled weakly. “My father would have loved to have met you again. To see you as you are now...”

Marianne perked a bit, she couldn’t help but remember the vision she saw of Dirk, being consumed by fire. “Griselda told be a bit more about him, I would have liked to have remembered him…”

“Oh? Did she tell you how they met? They chatted nonstop about that story when I was a kid.” Bog chuckled softly and Marianne joined him.

“Well, Dawn was the one who asked. She just finished that story when you and Faob crashed into the courtyard and I had to save your scaly hide.” Marianne added with a smirk.

“And I appreciate the assistance.” Bog chuckled before his voice softened. “…Perhaps I'll tell you more about my father and my family line in the future since you're so curious. And with the books I plan to send you’re in for a treat.”

“Really?” Marianne grinned, her eyes lit up.

Bog couldn't help but chuckle at her enthusiasm. “Yes, but enough about me, the next date I want to know more about you and your people, despite my bloodline I don't know very much about fairies.”

“It's a deal.” Marianne smiled and moved so she could face him. She perked a bit when she looked up to see the sun start to set.

“We should be heading back. It’s getting late.” Bog chuckled softly.

“Agreed.”

With that, the two took off into the direction of the castle. Bog briefly took one more glance back at the Boneyard Arena. For a long time he’s had mixed feelings about this place since it brought back both good and bad memories.

Though, it was those memories and experiences made him who he was today. It may have made him rough around the edges and it was a rocky path but he's content just where he was now. He smiled, looking to Marianne before he followed her into the forest.

...

By the time they had returned to the castle, Bog had to carry Marianne. She mentioned something about being tired from the sparring and the flight over there. Bog didn’t complain, he just hoped they didn’t run into any of the Viziers on the way back, or worse, his mother.

Fortunately, the rest of the way up to Marianne’s room was eventless, it seemed many of the goblins and workers had turned in for the night.

It was odd, neither of them had realized just how much time had passed while they were gone.

Bog quietly stepped into Marianne’s room and sighed in relief that they made it there without incident. By then, Marianne had clung to him and already seemed to be half asleep.

“You’re impossible.” Bog teased her, as he moved to set her own on the bed and expected for her to let go. He perked when Marianne’s grip seemed to tighten the more he tried to get away.

“Noooo…” Marianne muttered softly in her sleepy haze. Bog groaned softly in defeat when she wouldn’t budge before he laid down on the bed, careful not to crush her as he settled down beside her. Marianne sighed contently and snuggled into him. “Sweet Boggy Woggy.”

"No. Just sleep before I change my mind and leave." Bog stared at her deadpanned. He wasn’t sure which was worse: ‘Boggy Woggy’ or ‘Grumpy pinecone’.

Marianne snickered softly and nuzzled into him. “You’re more snuggly than you look.”

Bog opened his mouth to say something before perking when he could hear her start to snore softly. She must have been more tired from the day than she let on. Sighing softly, Bog draped his wings around them. He watched her for a moment, smiling a little.

They've only been together for a week but the entire thing has felt surreal to him. They've been both kept busy so the two of them have only had quiet moments like this and banter here and there. This was the first time they’ve really gone out and spend time together.

It was nice.

What they had wasn't perfect but they were working on it and he enjoyed every moment he spent with her. Smiling lightly, Bog leaned down to kiss her head gently, "Goodnight, Tough girl."

He brushed back a lock of hair covering her face. It suddenly occurred to Bog, this was the first time in a long time he’s seen her asleep.

Bog flinched, a memory briefly returning to him. A younger Marianne was looking up at him, crying, likely from anger and pain, part of her face was bandaged with healing leaves to treat her burns from the fire.

The image in his mind changed to a small room. He held her in her arms, singing softly, trying to lull her to sleep. She fell asleep easily, exhausted from the tears and the pain while the staff laid on the floor beside them. The Life Amber and her closed eyes were glowing and Bog had to look away from the memory.

He took a deep breath, Bog looked back at his Marianne and vividly remembered one of the healing leaves on her forehead. He reached over to brush aside her hair, perking when he noticed nothing was there.

He hesitantly ran a finger along her head and wondered where the scar was. Then he felt the scar tissue, just above her brow, hidden under layers of makeup.

Bog pulled his hand away. He didn’t wish to disturb her anymore.

Sighing softly, Bog knew there was so much Marianne didn’t remember from that night. He wasn’t a fool, he knew she wanted answers. She's been in the dark for far too long. One day she’ll know the truth, he was sure of that.

He leaned down, he rested his head against hers and began to sing. He easily recalled the lullaby he sang to her all those years ago.

_“We were made to fly in a burning sky. We are fighters till the end and we will pray for love.”_ He perked a bit when Marianne stirred a bit in her sleep and he only continued once he was sure she was still asleep. _“Cos there is hope for us and you have shown us once again…”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay that was fun I hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter! Again, if you hadn't read the drabble "Don't Mess With Me" it's Bog's duel and reveal when he's fighting for the throne it's in my works!
> 
> ALSO the lovely Dancesonmoonlight drew a small comic for me of Avira and Galen's kiss in the beginning of the chapter it's magnificent I recommend taking a look and seeing all her other amazing art!!! She's draw several more cute LLTK stuff and has her own amazing works so check them out! http://thebluemoongirl.tumblr.com/post/144062481319/gift-for-jaegereska-a-comic-from-a-scene-from
> 
> Seriously she's awesome check her out
> 
> I'll try to update again soon please tell me what you think, favorite scenes anything please I sat in a hallway beside a working outlet for three days writing this when my apartment unit mysteriously lost power I really want to know what you think and thank you for reading!


	8. Leaves from the Vine

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Prepare a box of tissues my friends it will be needed

Bog woke with a start and looked around the room wildly. His heart beat wildly in his chest and he couldn’t remember what caused him to wake up so suddenly. It could have been a noise or maybe a voice? Confusion swept through him, he didn’t even remember falling asleep.

The darkness and the stream of moonlight from the window told him it was still night, though he wasn’t exactly sure when. For some reason, the moonlight unsettled him.

It was supposed to be a new moon tonight…

Bog tensed and quickly took to the other side of the bed.

Marianne was gone.

 Where was she? And while he was at it where was he?

He glanced around briefly and did not recognize the room he was in. At least not at first.

In the dimly lit room, he could easily make out the darkened wooden walls; the familiar curved carvings etched along its surface. Amber chandeliers hung from the ceiling; the precious gems glittered in the moonlight. On the far wall stood a web patterned glass window with silk curtains drifting lazily in the late autumn wind.

He took a deep breath, his warm breath coming out as mist as it hit the cool air.

It was his old room, back in the original goblin castle. As far as he could tell from the cold seeping into the room, it was late autumn. 

From the looks of the walls he could see the tree was stump was still alive and well.

Looking down at his arms and legs, Bog raised an eyebrow when he noticed something seemed off. His exoskeleton was fairly smoother, only baring a few faint scars. Though, it was nothing compared to how coarse he skin was now. Hesitantly, Bog ran his fingers along his face.  He didn’t feel the scars on his cheeks or lip. He moved his hand through the leaf fringe on his head; it was a bit longer and disheveled than he normally kept it. 

By the looks of things, he couldn’t be any older than 8 years old.

Now it was a matter of understanding if this was a memory or a dream of some kind. Maybe it was both.

**Babum. Babum. Babum.**

Bog tensed, the all too familiar sound of drums echoed in his ears. Why was he hearing it? Here and now? He jumped to his feet but immediately doubled over as pain shot through his back. Glancing back, Bog could just make out that his back and wings were bandaged. They were from the attack from the Berserkers, he remembered it clearly now. It was from earlier that day.

He took a shaky breath and shivered as the wind started to pick up. Bog rubbed his arms as he looked up around the room, trying to find the source of the drums.

Just then the drumming grew louder and louder and his eyes wandered to the window. The moonlight shined dimly through the silk curtains and the wind picked up again, sending a chill through Bog.

Suddenly, a silhouette appeared behind the curtains. Bog blinked and it was gone.

Hesitantly, he made his way towards the window; he needed to know for sure if something was out there or if his mind was just playing tricks on him.

Raising a hand, Bog pulled back the curtain. There was nothing and the drumming had mysteriously stopped.

Bog let out the breath he didn’t even realize he was holding in. He shook his head and rubbed his temple. Maybe he was just seeing things.

Bog gently pushed the window open. Sighing a bit as the cool air tickled his skin. He took a deep breath and exhaled, watching his breath turn into mist in the chilled air before his gaze lingered down below.  

He always did like the view from his room. It faces towards the ravine and when it was foggy it looked like he was living in a castle in the sky. Glancing around, Bog was just able to catch a hint of purple, the field of flowers he had taken Marianne to. Not too far from it was the willow tree he and Marianne stood on when he gave her that flower.

A small smile curled on his lips and he started to relax. Nothing was out here, he shouldn’t be worrying so much.

Bog let himself admire the view for a moment longer. He would have liked to have shared this view with Marianne. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be now that his home laid in a cavern at the bottom of a bog.

At times it was difficult for him to remember it was gone. Those moments just before he wakes up he sometimes believed he was in his old room, but the two castles smelled different. It was the best way he could think of it.

The old goblin castle was a bit humid from when the stump was alive, even when it dried out it still held in warmth rather well. The smell of burning amber from the chandeliers also filled the air.

The willow tree castle was significantly cooler, especially in the lower levels. Several of these corridors were lit naturally by the pale green glow worm strings. Meanwhile, the builders were currently installing amber chandeliers and sky lights into the upper levels of the willow tree.

It brought back some of the warmth from the first castle and helped a bit with the home sickness. Though, in a way it felt like it split the castle in two sections; the upper levels offered warm light while the lower offered cool light.

It was just something that everyone would have to adjust to in time.

Sighing, Bog closed his eyes and he felt oddly at peace. His people had so much change ahead of them with their new home and the Light Fields but he felt…hopeful. It was strange, it was a feeling he hadn’t felt too often until recently.

When did hope return to him exactly, he tried to remember. A memory of placing the flower in Marianne’s hair briefly came to mind.

**Babum. Babum. Babum.**

Bog tensed as the drumming echoed in his ears, catching him off guard. The air suddenly shifted behind him and he turned back quickly, his eyes managed to catch a glimpse of a shadow lunging straight for him. Bog cried out as the shadow grabbed him by the neck and shoved him through the open window. He dug his claws into the attacker’s hand, trying to loosen their grip as he dangled freely in the air.

“I wouldn’t do that, my dear. It’s a long fall down.” The shadow chuckled, her voice as icy as the air. “You’re in no condition to fly or get away.”

Bog froze and he stopped struggling.

He recognized the voice as she stepped into view and the drumming grew louder, echoing in his skull.

A sidhe with orange and red armor, speckled with black armor smirked at him. Her exoskeleton was much sleeker and spiky than Bog’s. Though she bared similar appearances many sidhe share, milky white blind eyes, a pointed nose, sharp cheek bones and leaf like fringe on his head. Hers was much longer, reaching to her shoulders but poofing out at the top in all directions. At her temples two long horns curls to the back of her head.

She looked like a monster and to Bog, she might as well have been.

This had to be a nightmare, it had to be. Why was this happening?

“Your father isn’t there to save you.” She chuckled, tightening her grip around his neck. The drumming keep getting louder and louder Bog felt his head was going to explode. “He’s dead.”

Just as his vision started to darken, Bog could hear another drum, another song, it was much softer and sadder than hers. It felt familiar, even soothing to him somehow. His eyes widened when it finally clicked and a familiar voice called out to them.

“Shaylynn! Release my son!” There was a flash of orange and red behind them and they suddenly crashed to the ground.

Bog stumbled to the ground, free from Shaylynn’s grip. He doubled over and coughed, trying to catch his breath and when he looked up he realized he was in the throne room.

Looking up, he could see his father stood between him and Shaylynn.

Bog quickly scrambled back to hide behind the throne. His appearance had changed again, he was younger, no older than a toddler now, wings just starting to grow out.

A…memory? Or still a dream?

He watched as Shaylynn and Dirk circled each other. His father carried the staff in his hands, he watched her coldly, ready to defend his child. Shaylynn unsheathed her arm blades and lunged for Dirk. Their weapons clashed as Dirk raised the staff to block her attack. As they fought the drumming grew louder, seeming to emanate from both Shaylynn and Dirk. Each song trying to overwhelm the others.

Bog curled up, covering his ears and closing in eyes, trying to block out all the noise.

The room shook and Bog looked up just as Dirk crashed into the throne before collapsing.

Dirk’s wings quivered as he laid on the steps and he was covered in cuts and bruises. He held a deep gash on his side, gasping for air before doubling over to cough up blood.

Bog quickly ran to his side and winced when he saw part of his father’s left horn had been broken off and his right ear was torn and bleeding badly.

Shaylynn smirked, gritting her teeth as she held onto her own wounds, “Is…that all you got, Dirk?”

Bog refused to look back as Shaylynn approached them. The drumming became loud again, drowning out Dirk’s as it echoed in Bog’s head as if trying to consume him. Shaylynn reached down to grab Bog but stopped short. Her ears flicked and she scowled as bolted out of the room.

Just then, dozens of guards filled the room and Bog froze. The room was in an uproar, people coming to their side to help and others coordinating to go after Shaylynn. Amongst the chaos, all Bog could hear was her song, filling his head. It felt like it was suffocating him like water, drowning him.

Then, like a light going out, noise suddenly stopped. A roar erupted all around him as flames consumed the throne room, turning into a forest, each branch and thorn covered by spider webs.

Bog jumped back in fear before wincing, he looked back at his wings when the pain returned. His wings were bloody, soaking the leaf coat he was wearing. It was the same coat his mother made for him to help conceal his identity, to keep him safe for so many years of hiding.

Looking back to the fire, it grew until it surrounded him. Bog cried out as the fire engulfed his father and he disappeared in the flames. He tried to reach out for him but screamed as the fire burned his hand.

Bog stared at the flames, unable to look away. He felt helpless like the small child he resembled now. Back then there was nothing he could do to help his father and now, seeing him taken by the flames was like a slap to the face.

Then, the flames moved in closer, flickering at Bog and he cried out; the flames burning his body but never getting close enough to fully consume him. Suddenly, screams pierced through the air. Bog tensed, he could hear people crying out for help and for names of loved ones, desperately trying to find them.

Of all things why did he have to be dreaming of this?

It was their people, the dark fairies and no doubt some fairies who had also been trapped by the fire.

Bog gripped his head and curled up. He wanted this all to stop. Why couldn’t it just stop?

Just then, their screams were lost to the roar of the fire.

Suddenly, Bog felt a sharp pain in his side. He opened his eyes to see a large gash slicing clean through his exoskeleton. He moved his hand to cover the wound but blood seeped through his fingers. He remembered well, the assassin managed to slip past Raela’s defenses and had gotten close for the strike but not close enough.

Then, a crash in front of him drew his attention. Looking down, two tea cups laid in front of him, one tipped over and the other scattered. Bog could never forget the fear in his mother’s eyes when he swiped the tea cup from her hands before he collapsed, unable to breath.

He was so scared the assassin had tainted both their drinks he didn’t want to risk it. He didn’t want to lose her either, not after losing his father with no warning. Bog refused to have another parent taken away from him.

**Babum. Babum. Babum.**

The drumming returned and Bog looked up to see Shaylynn standing before him.

She said nothing, only smirked, tightening her grip around Argo’s amber trident.

Bog gasped out, feeling chains wrap around him. He struggled to break them as they wrapped around his arms and legs before snaking around over his heart. With a flick of her hand, the chains dragged Bog to his hands and knees and he felt his legs go numb.

Shaylynn laughed, her appearance briefly flickering to look like Argo while Bog’s changed to Galen.

Bog roared angrily, pulling at the chains to try to break free as the drumming started to overwhelm him again.

“You’re rather stubborn, too much like your mother it would seem.” Shaylynn hummed as her appearance flickered back. “Though, you do have your father’s will. Let’s see if it can break.”

Bog screamed as the drumming grew unbearable loud in his head. He felt his head was going to split in two. Her whispers started to fill his head, he felt her thought as his own, trying to turn and invade his. Bog roared out like a cornered animal, desperately trying to fight back the invasion. He refused to be trespassed like this but he felt powerless to stop her.

Digging his claws into his head, he just wanted it all to stop. For it all to end and just as he started to feel himself slipping away he heard a voice calling to him.

He couldn’t recognize the voice at first or make out what they were trying to say through the noise.

It was so far away but he knew he needed to get to it somehow.

Bog yanked at the chains, reaching an arm towards the voice. The chains slowly started to crack under the strain and the voice started to become clearer.

Shaylynn tensed, stepping back as her eyes widen as the chains began to weaken. Bog gritted his teeth, chains cutting into his wrists but he didn’t care. He needed to get free and he would do whatever it takes to be free of this prison.

_“Wake up!”_ The voice called to him and Bog eyes widened.

The voice. It was Marianne.

Raising his wings high, Bog kept pulling at the chains. He couldn’t stop how he needed to get to Marianne. Bandages, leaves and blood dripped off him with each beat of his wings and they shined brightly in the darkness.

With one final jerk, the chains shattered.

…

Bog bolted up right, crying out as he woke up. Marianne jumped back, not expecting Bog to wake up so suddenly. The goblin panted heavily, eyes widen and wings quivering as he tried to get his bearings back.

“Whoa, whoa! It’s okay, you’re safe!” Marianne took his hand and rubbed his back. “Was it a nightmare?”

Bog kept his eyes down and didn’t answer; he kept trying to compose him but had little luck.

“It’s alright, you’re safe now.” Marianne said softly, doing her best to help calm him down. She’s never seen him look this scared, it was unsettling. She wanted to know what had caused him to act like this but knew now wasn’t the moment to ask.

Marianne rested her head against his and stroked his hand

After a few minutes, Bog’s breathing slowed down and the shaking stopped.

“Hey, you okay?” Marianne asked, taking his hand gently. Bog didn’t move, still hunched over like a cornered animal but he was much calmer than he was before.

“I’m fine…Just a dream…” He replied, rubbing his temple.

“Looked more than just a dream.” She replied as he sat up.

“Marianne—” Bog started to say before he groaned, his legs feeling numb.

Panic struck him and the memory of the numbness from the dream came to him before he realized his legs were hanging off the bed. He let out a breath, some of the anxiety leaving him. Of course they were numb, they were hanging off the bed all night.

Marianne sighed, shaking her head and offered him a weak smile. “Um, Bog, I’m sure you noticed that this bed is too small for you. Why didn’t you go to your room last night?”

“A wee fairy wouldn’t let go of me.” Bog let out a shaky breath as he looked away. His tone was playfully, though a bit forced. He knew very well Marianne wouldn’t let this slide.

“Bog talk to me. What happened?” Marianne asked, tilting her head down to try to look at his face.

Bog said nothing and rubbed his legs to get some feeling back.

“It’s nothing…”

“Bog.”

“Alright, alright, Tough girl. It just…I…” Bog shook his head, trying to collect his thoughts. He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “Just dreamt about some old memories…sort of...”

“Sort of?” Marianne raised an eyebrow. “Looked more like a nightmare than a dream.”

“Well, you’re not wrong…It was a jumbled mess really. Some were memories, other things just…weren’t.” At least he hoped so.

“Whatever it was looked like it really spooked you…” Marianne said softly as she took his hands. “…Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really no…” Bog said barely above a whisper.

It’s not that he didn’t want to talk, he wasn’t sure how else to explain it to her, at least not at the moment. The memories of the dream were already starting to become foggy. The thing he did remember would only scare her and he didn’t want her to worry.

“Alright, now. Come with me.” Marianne stood up and took his hand to pull him off the bed.

"What?” Bog tilted his head. 

“Just come with me.” Marianne smiled.

“Uh...Where are we going?” Bog raised an eye brow, just managing to grab for his staff as Marianne dragged him to the door. 

“You look like you need some tea.” Marianne replied as they stepped out into the dark hall. With a wave of his wrist, the amber on the staff started to glow to offer them light.

“Tea.” Bog said, his expression almost deadpan but there was amusement in his voice. 

“Yeah, there’s this Light Fields tea blend I brought, my dad used to make us a lot that helped calm me down after a nightmare. And since you’re part fairy I think it just might do the trick.” Marianne looked back at him with a comforting smile as they made their way down the hall.  

“Oh, um, alright, I suppose.” Bog let out a weak laugh. It's not like he could argue that logic. 

The two of them walked in silence, the amber lighting the way. As they made their to the kitchen, they occasionally passed a window or two; it was still dark out but it was hard to tell how late into the night or even how early in the day it was. 

Gritting his teeth, Bog tried to ignore how the orange glow from his staff resembled the flames that took his father. Everything ached, like he was breaking apart and the only thing keeping him anchored was Marianne’s hand.

Taking a breath, Bog closed his eyes and allowed Marianne to lead him. His other senses immediately began to heighten. As they walked by door after door he could hear the soft sounds of goblins huddled close, snoring softly, not yet to wake for a few more hours. Outside he could hear the wind pick up a bit, causing the branches to sway gently against the tree. Then, just beyond it he could hear the current of the creek flowing beside the tree.

Darkness was one of the few things that helped calm him. It also allowed him to make out things he otherwise wouldn’t have noticed. The sounds of the earth or nature otherwise muted by color and light. There were many times Bog envied Faob for this ability. To be able to take in life like this all the time.

"Ah here we are," Marianne chirped, pulling Bog from his thoughts.

Bog opened his eyes, holding up the staff to allow more light into the room. His eyes quickly adjusted to the change of light and he could make out a few tables and cabinets scattered about the kitchen. He didn’t realize how distracted he was he didn’t even realize how quickly they arrived.

Taking a quick glance at Marianne, Bog took a deep breath.

He had to keep it together.

He needed to.

"This place has too many halls and stairs I thought we’d never find this place..." She mumbled under her breath as she walked over to a small table close to the fire place.

“Well this is a much larger castle than the first. You did a good job finding this place on your own.” Bog smiled weakly. “You could have asked for help.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t want to bug you. Anyway, this place is like a maze and that’s not even talking about the lower levels.” Marianne replied, having Bog sit down while she walked over to fetch some water to boil.

“Need any help?” Bog sat up, watching her pour water into a kettle.

“No, you just sit there and look pretty.” Marianne waved him off.

“Well—” Bog scratched his chin and glanced away.

“Don’t even start with the talk that you’re not.” Marianne shot him a glare.

“Alright, alright.” Bog raised his hands up in defense.

Marianne smiled as she hung the kettle over the fire before looking around for something to light it. A small smirk curled on Bog’s lips and a flame sparked in the firewood, startling Marianne. She gave him a look while he just smiled, leaning his chin on his palm while he watched her.

“Couldn’t help it.”

 “Fine, I’ll let it slide. Thank you.” Marianne crossed her arms as she leaned against the counter. “Anyway, what are you going to do with all this space?”

“Hmm?” Bog hummed as he glanced around the room.

“In the castle I mean.” Marianne added before flying up to one of the cabinets, looking for the right herbs for the tea.

“Ah, well I have people mapping out the tree while Faob is working out to map out the underground. The castle’s a lot larger than expected with many levels both above and below ground that have yet to be explored.” Bog explained, rubbing the back of his neck absently while he watched her.

Bog was just able to make out the smell of crushed herbs and flower petals, though he couldn’t quite make out the type. “Though, Faob was having the time of his life mapping out the underground; it’s basically a labyrinth beneath the area around the castle.”

Marianne landed down by the counter and laughed, “I bet he is.”

“Aye. Once that is complete it’ll be decided what functions each area would serve. Permanent housing, a market place, storage, you name it.” Bog added, tapping his fingers on the table top.

“So it’s like a city in the castle?” Marianne looked up at him surprised before the sound of water boiling over caught her attention.

She yelped, grapping a nearby cloth to pull the kettle off the fire, not wanting any more water to spill over. Bog watched her, a bit amused, waving his hand to dispel the fire. Marianne let out a sigh and set down the kettle before forgetting she hadn’t taken any cups out for them. Groaning, she fly back up to the cabinets for them. Bog watched her with a smile. It was odd but Marianne’s clumsiness had a charm over him. It was endearing to say the least.

“You sound surprised.” Bog replied, standing to walk over to the counter as Marianne flew back down to him with two cups.

“Hey, I said to sit tight.” Marianne gave him a look as she set down the cups.

“Yes, but you look like you need a little help.” Bog smiled.

“I can handle it.” Marianne sighed, making sure she’d gather everything for the tea this time before getting to work. “Anyway, back to sounding surprised. Yeah I am. I mean, in the Light Fields commoners don’t tend to live in the castle or have markets inside it.”

“Really?” Now it was Bog’s turn to be surprised. “What do you do with all the space then?”

“We have the Ballroom, banquet halls, the throne room, gardens, a library, and audience rooms for the council but not really large sleeping quarters, at least not in the same scale as goblins.”

“Huh…I see.” Bog replied. Why would they waste that much space for just for the nobility? It was strange to say the least.

“Do all the goblins live in the castle?” Marianne asked as she prepared the tea.

“Not all of them no. There are so many of us and little space. Well, actually there’s plenty more space now but still not enough to fit every single goblin.” Bog replied thoughtfully. Goblins lived in all parts, there were even large villages underground for Sidhe and owl like goblins. “There are hunters, foragers and hunters that tend to prefer to live outside the castle walls and form their own villages.”

“That makes sense, though why have so many people living in one place?” Marianne asked.

“The castle offers the safe place to stay in the winter and despite how we seem reclusive, goblins actually tend to live in large groups.” Bog explained with a small smile. “When it comes to the cold, numbers and supplies tend to make a big difference in survival.”

“Oh, I never thought of it that way since we migrate.” Marianne looked up at him surprised.

“I don’t blame you but it means a lot that you asked.” Bog smiled as he leaned against the counter.

Marianne returned the smile before looking back down at the tea. Figuring enough time had passed for it to mix, Marianne poured a bit into her cup to taste it. She nodded to herself, satisfied before she served the tea for them. “And it’s done. Here, drink this, it should help.”

“You know you didn’t have to go to this trouble, Marianne…but thank you.” Bog sighed, taking the cup and bowing his head. He looked down at the cup, raising it to smell it. He looked at it surprised; it was very fragrant.

“What’s with that face?” Marianne watched him curiously.

“It’s like holding the Light Fields in a cup.” It was the first thing that came to mind for Bog. There was definitely flower petals in this, that much he could tell and just a hint of mint. Though he couldn’t figure out what kind of flower. It felt oddly familiar but it couldn’t place it.

“Alright, now taste it.” Marianne chuckled, watching him fondly. “Careful it’s not too hot.”

“I can take a little heat, Tough girl.” Bog chuckled, raising the cup to his lips as he took a sip.

He perked, the tea was subtly sweet, yet a slight coolness with the mint. It was actually quite calming despite the hassle that it took just to brew it.  Still there was something about it that…bothered him. The taste, the fragrance of the flower. What was it? Why was it so familiar?

“Is something wrong?” Marianne asked, unsure how to read Bog.

Bog opened his mouth to say something but stopped short. Realization suddenly dawned on him and he tensed, gripping the edge of the counter to keep himself from doubling over. He grit his teeth, setting down the cup as calmly as he could so he wouldn’t alarm Marianne.

No, not here.

“You don’t like it?” Marianne face dropped, looking down at the cup.

Bog said nothing and bowed his head, moving hand over his lips.

He was supposed to keep it together.

“I’m sorry. Maybe I can make something else—”

He needed to.

Marianne tensed, eyes widening as a tear stream down Bog’s cheek, “Bog…?”

Why was it so hard?

Bog’s shoulders start to tremble, the taste of tea still in his mouth as memories of his father flashed across his eyes quickly. For a moment, his father stood in front of Bog, holding a kettle of tea, a smile on his face as he poured a cup for him and his mother. The next, it was all swept away as fire consumed everything in sight. Bog could no longer hold it back anymore and he started to scream.

Sobs suddenly wracked through Bog’s body as he doubled over, falling to his knees. He gripped his head tightly, claws daggering into his scalp, threatening to tear through the skin. Stunned, but quickly returning to her senses, Marianne grip Bog’s wrists, pulling his hands away from his face to keep him from hurting himself.

He was just shaking so badly, worse than before with the nightmare. He couldn’t even stand anymore. Marianne quickly knelt down beside Bog, doing what she could to calm him. She had no idea what happened.

He was calm a moment ago then he drank the tea…

Did she cause this somehow?

He was fine before he drank the tea.

Panicked, Marianne looked to Bog and then the door. Should she try to find someone to help? No, Bog could easily hurt himself by accident, she needed to stay with him.

Marianne hugged Bog tightly, trying to sooth him and calm him like she had done before. There really wasn’t anything else she could think of to do. He needed her, she couldn’t leave him. Not now.

Bog clung to Marianne tightly, wings trembling violently. He gasped for air, desperately wishing he could calm down but he couldn’t even form a single word as sobs wracked his body. It felt like he was watching himself fall apart, seeing himself on the floor while Marianne tried to do whatever she could to calm him, powerless to do anything. Not having a clue what was wrong.

He could feel it, Marianne was scared, completely unsure what to do. He sensed her uncertainty, knowing she was starting to put blame on herself. No, it wasn’t her fault. She needed to know that; she shouldn’t be suffering thinking she caused this.

Bog wanted nothing more than to just to turn off this side of his emotions even if it was for a moment to tell Marianne she didn’t do anything wrong. He wanted to comfort her but there was nothing he could do. He was completely powerless as everything bursting over like a dam. There was no stopping it.

He wouldn’t be able to speak until he calmed down but he couldn’t wait until then. How else could he tell her what was wrong? Then, an idea came to mind. He’s never tried it but it could work…

_Babum. Babum. Babum._

Marianne clung onto Bog, trying to do what she could to comfort him when she started to hear an odd drumming in her ears. She looked around, unsure where it was coming from. She wasn’t going crazy now was she? She had no idea what was going on or what suddenly caused this but she couldn’t stand seeing him in so much pain. All she knew that she needed to stay calm and figure out a way to help Bog.

_“M-Marianne….”_ Bog’s shaky voice called out to her weakly.

Marianne jumped, startled to hear his voice coming from inside her head. “B-Bog?”

_“Yes, please don’t be alarmed.”_ His voice echoed again, now becoming clearer.

“How are we talking like this? Your voice is in my head.” Marianne looked at him bewildered.

_“It’s…complicated. In short it’s a goblin ability we call the Drumming Song. It can be used as a nonverbal form of communication by linking our minds. I’ll explain more to you later, I promise, it’s just…Marianne, I’m so sorry—”_ Bog tried to explain before Marianne cut him off.

“Look, I know you’re very stubborn and you’ve been trying to be strong but this? You pushed yourself until you burst…” Marianne yelled, “You’re an idiot!”

Marianne hugged him tightly, burying her head in his shoulder. Bog tensed and glanced down at her. His sobs had stopped but he was far from being able to speak on his own. He felt utterly weak, barely having the energy to move but he raised his hand slowly to rest on her head.

_“I know… I’m sorry I scared you, please listen this isn’t your fault.”_ Bog said softly through their link, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Then tell me what happened.” Marianne begged, stroking her hand gently along his back. “First it was the nightmare, whatever you saw had you spooked. I could see you were trying to hide it so hard…”

_“Marianne I—”_  Bog tried to say but he couldn’t find a way to argue with her.

“Look, it’s just…I’ve never seen you this scared or upset before.” She said softly.

Marianne didn’t want to ever see him like that, she wanted to know what caused him this pain, if there was any way to snuff out whatever it was that hurt him. She was scared, angry and upset, not at him, for him. She just didn’t know what to do to help him. He wasn’t letting her in to find out. 

_“I’ll admit, I’m a mess, crying over something as small as tea…”_ Bog muttered softly.

“It wasn’t small was it?” Marianne pulled away to look at him. For a moment he was silent and couldn’t meet her eyes.

_“No, it wasn’t…It might sound silly but it’s been years since I’ve tasted jasmine. It only grows in the Light Fields and it was my father’s favorite.”_ Bog continued, running has fingers gently along her hand. _“And the dream…I saw him broken and mutilated before being taken by the flames from me again…”_

“Bog…” Marianne stroked his cheek gently and he closed his eyes and leaned to his touch.

_“The tea was the tipping point…Bringing back so many good and bad memories at once. Everything just came rushing back so quickly…”_ He added.

Marianne bowed her head before raising her fist to punch his shoulder, enough to sting. The stumbled back a bit from the blow, startled as Marianne embraced him tightly. “You’re an idiot! Really, after having a dream like that you tell me ‘you’re fine’. Like hell you are!”

Bog was silent for a moment before he let out a laugh. It was the first noise he’s made and it sounded loud in the room. Marianne relaxed a bit in his arms, relieved to hear something other than his sobs. She looked up at him, rubbing her eyes. “What?”

“There’s my tough girl…I was afraid I scared her off…” Bog chuckled weakly, his voice raw from the tears.

Marianne took a shaky breath and rested her head against his, “As much as you like to think so, I don’t scare that easily… I just don’t like seeing you get hurt. You’ve grown on me. Believe it or not.”

“Good to hear. Not sure where this relationship would be if you weren’t at least a bit fond of me.” Bog closed his eyes, leaning his head against hers. A part of him still felt empty and everything ached much worse than before but somehow he felt a little better. Just teasing each other seemed to help.

“I love you…” He whispered softly.

Marianne glanced up at Bog, noticing his eyes were closed and his breathing had slowed. For a moment she wondered if he had fallen asleep. Not that she would blame him after the ordeal they just had. If he was getting some sleep she wasn’t going to stop him.  

A comfortable silence fell into the room. Marianne wasn’t sure how much time had passed until she noticed sunlight slowly start to creep in through the window. Time felt a bit blurred at this point. Bog’s breakdown felt like it lasted for an eternity but they hadn’t gotten up too long before sunrise so all of this could have happened in a matter of hours or minutes? It was hard to say.

After the ordeal there were so many questions she needed to ask Bog, so many things brought to light she wasn’t even sure if Bog was even ready to tell her. Still, if Bog needed time to explain things she would give it to him.

It was the least she could do for him considering what he did to try to calm her.

Even while he spoke to her with the drumming song, she could tell it took a lot of energy and strength to be able to get his message across. He did this while he was hurting to help her. To tell her she hadn’t caused his pain. The drumming song was incredible to allow Bog to speak with her without even uttering a word. Just another mysterious thing she learned about him so it seemed. She was curious to learn about more but was willing to wait to find out more. Bog needed time to rest and recover, not for her to ask questions.

Still, that didn’t mean she wasn’t curious. She wondered if she could speak in his mind like he was able to speak in hers. Looking up at him, Marianne perked to see he was awake, watching her.

“You look like you have something on your mind.” Bog smiled weakly.

“Good morning to you too.” Marianne replied, looking at him intently, trying to get a message through his head.

“What are ye doing?” Bog asked curiously, a small smile curling on his lips at the faces she was making.

“I’m trying to talk to you in your head, stop talking I’m trying to get it to work.” Marianne cupped the sides of his face and stared at him intently. Bog watched her amused and Marianne noticed in the morning light that the color was returning to his face. He even looked much more relaxed. “Why isn’t it working?”

“Fairies can’t use a drumming song, love.” Bog chuckled softly, taking her hands and gently kissing her palm. Marianne blushed, biting her lip a bit. “A Dark Fairy such as myself can only open a channel. A fairy only has access to the song if the channel is open.”

Just then a soft drumming echoed in her ears and Marianne looked at him deadpanned. _“You know you could have mentioned that a little earlier.”_

_“I’m sorry. Just the way you were scrunching up your face.”_   He added, flashing her a grin, _“It was too amusing to stop you.”_

_“Very funny.”_ Marianne rolled her eyes before looking up at him. “How are you holding up?”

“Tired…but better.” Bog sighed, closing his eyes as he rested his head on top of hers.

“That’s good.” Marianne smiled.

“Thank you for staying with me.” Bog said softly.

“You can’t get rid of me that easily, remember?” Marianne replied, stroking his hand gently.

“Of course.” Bog smiled, glancing over as the sunlight slowly made its way over to them. “There is much that needs to be done today. Everyone will be getting up soon to start the day.” Bog sighed as he moved to stand, he winced a bit, his joints aching with each movement.

“Oh no you don’t” Marianne glared at him, standing up and taking him by the shoulders. “You need to take it easy today. Rest and food now or you’ll regret it later.”

“…Is that a threat?” Bog raised an eyebrow as he looked down at the fairy that barely reached over his shoulders.

“Not from me, not yet away.” Marianne replied before crossing her arms. “If you don’t get some rest and something to eat you’ll end up pushing yourself over the edge again. Maybe even faster this time.”

“And what about you?” Bog raised an eyebrow.

“What about me?” Marianne tilted her head.

“This ordeal took out a lot on you as well.” Bog argued, crossing his arms to match her. “Look, I’ll listen if you follow your own advice.”

Marianne opened her mouth to try to argue but knew he’s right, “Fine.”

Bog smiled at her, raising a hand to brush aside her bang before kissing her head gently. “Thank you.”

Marianne grumbled softly and looked away with a light blush, “You’re a piece of work; you know that?”

“Perhaps, but I am your piece of work.” Bog chuckled softly.

“That you are.” Marianne sighed, leaning up to kiss him gently, “I love you too.”

…

Marianne took a deep breath as she made her way through twists and turns that would finally lead her down to the lower levels of the castle. With some help and directions Marianne finally found herself in the large chasm Faob used as his base of operation.

She looked down, amazed to see different types of goblins buzzing around back and forth. Several types she couldn’t identify or recognize, not that it surprised her much; they were Faob’s agents after all.  

Sighing, she went to the nearest goblin that was willing to talk to her to ask where she could find the Spymaster. She was lead to one of the tunnel that lead to a small office space.

The desk was covered in several papers and scrolls and in the center of it all was a large map that seemed to be mapping out the entire labyrinth beneath the castle. Marianne took a step closer, looking around for Faob but her curiosity got the better of her.

She ran a hand across the scrolls and glanced at the map. A part of her wondered how Faob would read these until her fingertips felt the goblin text ink was raised and she couldn’t help but smile. Goblin text wasn’t only beautiful to look at with its picture like designs but also assessable to read for sightless goblins.

It was actually very smart. 

Sighing, Marianne stepped away from the desk, “Hello? Faob? You in here?”

“Ah, Marianne!” Faob chirped from above before hopping down from the ceiling, startling Marianne, “I’m so happy you came down for a visit!”

“Oh, hi! It’s nice to see you too, Faob and what were you doing on the ceiling…?” Marianne asked as she looked to where Faob jumped from.

She noticed there were several cubbies lining the walls holding scrolls and amber. The glanced back at Faob and watched him set down a few scrolls onto the table; he held some with his smaller bug like arms on his sides.  

“Just organizing a few things.” Faob chuckled once he managed to find room to set everything down.

“I see.” Marianne smiled.

“Yes and to what do I show the honor of this visit?” Faob asked, turning to face her.

“I came just to talk really. About Bog.” Marianne replied, not sure how else to explain it.

“Well, don’t keep me waiting. How did the date go?” Faob grinned and rested his hands on his hips. “I tried to hunt down Bog for details but I just haven’t had the chance to slip away to find him.”

“Being kept busy? I can come back.” Marianne glanced to the door. If Faob was busy she’d rather not get in his way.

“No, no, by all means have a seat. I want details.” Faob offered her his chair while he moved to sit on the corner of his desk.

“Oh, okay, if you insist. What do you want to know first?” Marianne asked, moving to sit down.

“Where did you two go?” Faob grinned.

Marianne spent a few minutes going over a few details of the date; excluding a few things like the accidental flashback. Still, Faob was thrilled the two had a good time together. Marianne was starting to feel as ease she almost forgot why she was there.

“Hey Faob, can I ask you something?” Marianne asked a bit tentatively.

“Go ahead.” Faob hummed casually, taking note of her tone.

“Is Bog alright?” Of course he wasn’t but she needed to know if Faob had noticed anything. “I mean he’s been really tense lately.”

“Hmm, probably something to do with the Viziers. They aren’t always on the same terms with Bog, especially if involved them questioning his leadership or actions.” Faob sighed a bit, having witnessed this back when Bog called for the ban on love. “They definitely haven’t gotten over the matter of the destruction of the castle but I wouldn’t worry too much. Bog has them under control. He has been through worse with and without them after all.”

“Worse than a castle collapsing on top of him?” Marianne teased, though she looked away and bite her lip. She knows he's been through a lot; that morning was just another glimpse of it.  

“Okay more of runner up.” Faob chuckled softly, “Since he took you to the arena I assume he brought up having to fight for the throne?”

Marianne nodded, “Yeah, he did.”

“Well, in the years before that fight things weren’t easy.” Faob tilted his head up to the ceiling as he recollected. “For starters, he didn't grow up in a lap of luxury, no offense.”

“None taken.”

“Anyway, he…we went through a lot just to survive.” Faob muttered softly.

“What was it like for you two back then?” Marianne asked.

“Well for years we basically lived like commoners, which wasn't terrible, but we were in hiding so no one could be aware of our true identities. It was hard at times. Bog knew the power his title had as he watched how the people were mistreated by the Berserkers.” Faob sighed, closing his eyes as he tapped the edge of the desk. “And then there was the silence, we were both used to living surrounded by dozens of family members but in just one migration they were gone.”

“Were they like family to you too?” Marianne wondered.

“Very much so. I was practically treated like Bog’s brother since we were hardly ever apart.” Faob smiled a little sadly.  “It was hard. Hearing some people calling the dark fairies, our family, monsters, back when everyone believed they were at fault for what happened. It was hard to just keep your mouth shut and not being able to lash out or act.”

“I’m sorry.” Marianne replied, resting a hand on his shoulder.

Faob perked at her touch and smiled. “You wouldn’t believe how many times Bog would get into brawls with people like that. For the most part, I would either pull him aside so he could cool off or just join him in knocking some heads. Either way, I had his back all these years.”

“You’ve looked out for him. That’s really sweet of you.” Marianne smiled.

“It was nothing, really. Bog's life has always been pretty hectic and I’ve always been there to help him stay above water.” Faob sighed, speaking from experience. “The point I’m trying to make is that there is very little he can’t handle. Though, that doesn’t mean things don’t get to him.”

“Alright…So, any advice for what to do when things do start to get to him?” Marianne asked.

“It doesn’t hurt to keep an eye out for him to notice some signs.” Faob rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “If you watch him you’ll start to notice these little quirks he has.”

“Like what?” Marianne raised an eyebrow.

“Well, when Bog’s stressed or something is bothering him he tends to get restless, words become less like words and more like grunts.” Faob added, picking up a piece of amber to run his fingers along it. “Hmm…He grits his teeth, rubs the back of his neck, and spirits, he just hunches over even more. That definitely isn’t good for his back but does he listen? No. Anyway, it’s those sorts of things to look out for.”

“…He does that a lot.” Marianne sighed. Faob only gave her a helpless smile. Knowing far too well.

So she was right; Bog does keep things pent up. She tried to understand why he would do such a thing but then again, he was King. He had to be strong for his people, that much she understood but it wasn’t fair if being ‘strong’ was breaking him.  

“Hey, Marianne? Do me a favor.” Faob spoke up, pulling Marianne from her thoughts.

“Uh, sure. What do you need?” Marianne asked.

“If Bog ever looks like he’s going to just fall apart just help him calm down.” Faob replied, rubbing his thumb along the piece of amber to feel the smooth texture. “Just getting him to sit down is a good start.”

“Alright…Any more advice?” Marianne asked. She wanted to say Bog had already fell apart but figured it was up to Bog to tell him what happened or not. Still, knowing more of what to do from someone close to Bog would help if something like this were ever to happen again.

“Bog’s much more affectionate than he lets on, believe it or not. He likes physical contact. Hugs. Holding has hand. Little things like that can help more than you would realize. Not even sure if he realizes it anymore given how reclusive he’s gotten now a days.” Faob sighed tiredly before offering her a smile. “Though, it seems he’s changing, a least with you around.”

“Good to know. Thank you, Faob.” Marianne smiled, though her mind was still on the events of that morning. Now that she thought about it, after Bog had calmed down the two of them just sat side by side, heads rested against each other and held hands. Well, she did that part right, they didn’t speak but she’s glad it might have helped

“Just think of this as a Beginners Guide to the Feeding and Caring of Bog Kings.” Faob chuckled softly, “And if you need any more advice just talk to me or Griselda. We know him the best but I am certain you will do well in our ranks of those closest to Bog.”

“Thanks.” Marianne smiled sincerely.

Faob returned the smile* “I wish you all the luck.”

“I guess I’m going to need it huh?” Marianne sighed.

“Maybe but I’m confident in you. Seeing you and Bog together.” Faob paused for a moment, looking his gaze before tilting his head over to Marianne.  “….It reminds me a little of the old days. The two of you were so close as kids. Even though you were a little kid you looked out for Bog kinda like now.”

“We met as kids too?” Marianne perked up, looking at him surprised.

“Only a handful of times but yes.” Faob replied before resting a hand over his chest. “Don't worry, my heart was broken when you didn't recognize me but has since healed. I’ll survive.”

“Oh haha.” Marianne shook her head as she moved to stand. “Anyway, thanks for the advice. I should get out of your hair now.”

“Alright. I’ll _see_ you around.” Faob flashed her a grin at the expression. “Don’t be a stranger now. Feel welcomed to visit again.”

Marianne chuckled as she headed towards the door, “Alright, thank you, Faob.”

Faob smiles a bit as he listened to her footsteps disappear before his expression dropped. He sighed deeply, running a hand through his fringe before pressing a hand to the wall. “You’re a real piece of work, you know that, Bog?”

He stood quickly once he pinpointed his King’s location before heading out into the main cavern. He passed by a few goblins, giving brief orders to handle his tasks while he attended to some important matters.

…..

Bog worked quietly in the amber storage room, picking up where he left off. He promised Marianne he would work light today. The rest helped and the memories of the nightmare were slowly becoming hazy. It still troubled him but it was becoming numb enough he could focus on his work.

The only problem was that he felt restless. Regardless, being surrounded by the faint glow of amber brought Bog a sense of peace and he felt relaxed for a moment.

The doors suddenly swung open as Faob barged through the door. Bog stared at Faob wide eyed, unsure what he was doing there as the force of the door sent a few papers flying.

And moment gone.

“YOU.” Faob hissed, jabbing a finger at Bog’s chest.  

“Faob? What do you need?” Bog raised an eye brow, taking a slight step back.

“You know why I’m here!” Faob replied.

“If I did I wouldn’t have asked.” Bog gave him a look, pinching the bridge of his nose. “What’s wrong?”

“I should be asking you that!” Faob rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms.

“You’re going to have to be more specific.” Bog shook his head, honestly not having a clue to what was going on.

“Something happened. Marianne is really worried about you. She didn’t anything but I could tell something was very wrong.” Faob replied sternly, listening to Bog’s breathing, ready for any excuse.

To his surprise Bog said nothing and turned away from him.  

“Bog, just talk to me.” Faob sighed, his voice softening.

Again, he refused to say a word and Faob started to get even more worried.

“Bog.” His voice growing sterner.

Bog continued on his silence and Faob glared at him. He could sense the tenseness in Bog’s posture, the way he gripped onto the staff. Something was bothering him but he wasn’t ready to say what yet. He was too restless, too angry to angry to talk. He needed to wear him down somehow.

Faob perked, hearing a faint sound of drums.

_“Dodge.”_

Faob didn’t even question the command, only having seconds to side step as Bog’s fist grazed his cheek. He couldn’t say he was surprised. Bog needed to be worn out enough to talk. This could work.

“Fine, have it your way.” Faob sighed before his expression turned serious and he took a step back, motioning Bog to come at him.

Bog immediately lunged at him but Faob easily kicked him off and knocking him into a shelf. The blow was held back, the last thing he wanted to do was hurt him or break anything but he knew Bog needed this. This anger wasn’t aimed towards him but it was better for Bog to let it out than keep it inside.

Bog groaned, perking when a scroll hit his head and he quickly grabbed a few more that had come loose. He set them aside and out of the way before swinging at Faob again.

Faob dodged quickly, jumping over Bog but the landing shook the room, causing a box of amber to tip over. Bog gritting his teeth and used the end of the staff to keep it from falling. He was not going to organize those all over again.

Faob struck at Bog while he was distracted, knocking the wind out of him.

“Cheap shot!” Bog groaned softly, clutching his abdomen as he stepped away from Faob.

“Well, whatever it takes right?” Faob smirked.

“Maybe.” Bog muttered, flashing him a grin before ducking down to strike his legs out from under him.  

Faob fell to the ground with a thud but easily spun on the shell on his back to dodge a strike. Bog’s fist hit the floor, sending a shudder through the room and shaking the amber chandeliers above them.

The two goblins went back and forth at each other, it was even starting to become somewhat of a game. Part of it was trying their best not to break anything, catching things just before they fall right before having to dodge a punch. They were actually doing a good job until they heard a crash behind them.  

They winced and Bog looked over at the shattered remains of a vase.

“I hope…that wasn’t anything important?” Faob said breathlessly and Bog groaned as the door opened.

“Alright, I think that’s enough you two or you might just bring this castle down.” Griselda shook her head as she made her way into the room with a small basket at hand.

“A draw then?” Faob breathed out a laugh.

“A draw…” Bog laughed shakily.

“Now you two take a seat. Gotta make sure you two didn’t hurt yourselves too badly.” Griselda grunted as she set down the basket and pulling out some bandages as she looked then over for any cuts.

“Yes, ma’am.” Faob hummed as the two sat down on some steps just behind them.

The two goblins were quiet while Griselda patched them up. 

“Remember how startled the fairies and elves were went they saw us fight in the courtyard?” Faob spoke up, a smile spreading on his face.

“It was only a few days ago, then again it’s hard to forget with their priceless reactions.” Bog chuckled and Faob smirked.

“Hey, don’t poke fun at them.” Griselda gave them both a stern look, “Light Fielders like to talk things through instead of fight to fix their problems. Nothing wrong with that.”

“Fair enough. They’re probably not used to fights breaking out.” Faob noted, apparently friendly fighting was just a goblin coping mechanism.

He’s also read over reports and oddly enough there haven’t been any fights during joint construction efforts. The goblins certainly had reasons to be upset or lash out, though they likely kept it outside of work time. Probably because they know better.

Griselda sighed and looked up at her son, “Now you, you’re still part fairy so start talking.”

Bog groaned loudly, looking away, anywhere but at his mother or Faob.  

“Was it another nightmare?” She asked, knowing her son too far well. There were dark circles under his eyes, at least more pronounced than usual, that told her he hadn’t slept well.

Bog just grunted and Faob rolls his eyes. He wasn’t exaggerating when he mentioned Bog lost means of proper communication when stressed. “You haven’t had any in a while.”

“I know and that concerns me…” Bog muttered.

“Why? Is it something you saw?” Faob perked up.

“More like someone…” Bog glanced away. “I saw Shaylynn.”

“What?!” The two stared at Bog in shock.

“The dream was hard to follow…it was hard to tell what was real and what was just a dream…” Bog muttered softly, rubbing his temple lightly. “She was trying to harm me but father appeared to protect me…” He sighed shakily as the dream came back to him bit by bit.

“Take it easy son, just take your time.” Griselda said softly.

“I haven’t dreamed of father in years, it was unexpected and threw me off.” Bog added as he gathered his thoughts. He slowly started to explain the dream, at least parts he wished to tell. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to tell them everything.

Bog took another deep breath and started to explain parts of the dream he was willing to talk about. He mentioned being in his old room, Shaylynn and his father appearing. It took time to bring up the part about the flames, how it consumed him. The last thing he vividly remembered was Shaylynn trying to control him, her drumming song tying chains around him. She almost got control but then he heard Marianne’s voice and it was like a spell had been broken.

“I would like to say that was the end of the torment but when I woke up from the nightmare Marianne was with me, very concerned to say the least.” Bog muttered softly, looking away from the two.

“She was with you? As in together? In bed?” Griselda perked up. “The date went better than I thought.”

“MOTHER.” Bog hissed.

“So the date didn’t go fine?” Griselda tilted her head.

“That’s beside the point. I mean, it was lovely but—” Bog groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose; cheeks red as he took a deep breath, “Mother, I have had a very, very long day. Do NOT go there, nothing happened.”

“Worth a shot,” Griselda shrugged, patting his shoulder gently, “Teasing aside, I assume that wasn’t the end of it? Marianne is not the kind of girl to pretend everything’s okay.”

“No…” Bog sighed softly, leaning his head on his palm. “She offered to make tea.”

“Oh? You must really trust her then.” Faob noted curiously.

“I do actually. Is that a problem Faob?” Bog shot him a glare.

“No, no, it’s actually really nice you’re starting to trust more people.” Faob hummed thoughtfully. “Well, at least another person.”

“Hmm, oddly enough in the nightmare I saw the two tea cups from back then...” Bog sighed softly.

“You couldn’t hold down tea for years and even after that you only trusted me or Faob to make it.” Griselda said softly, resting a hand over his.

Bog just nodded and remained silent. It wasn’t like the poisoning completely ruined his view of tea, but it did make him question who he could trust. “Marianne said the tea she prepared was something her father used to make to help calm her now. Even said that since I was part fairy it would help.” He added with a small smile.

“And did it?” Griselda asked curiously.

Bog took a deep, tired breath. It was hard for him to form his words but he tried his best. “Funny thing about nightmares, they make you relive things you’d rather keep locked away over and over…”

“Bog?” Faob perked up, concerned as he rested his hand on his shoulder.

“Things just keep coming back to haunt you and it eats at you until you’re just about to break…” Bog muttered, looking away at anything but them.

“Son.” Griselda said softly but sternly.

Bog took another shaky breath, realizing he was trailing off in thoughts again.

“The tea…It was jasmine. Father’s favorite.” Bog smiled bitterly, refusing to look at either of them. It was easy for him to remember the taste now that it was so clear in his mind. “Just a small taste was enough to crack the dam. Marianne stayed with me while everything just came flooding out.”

“Even though it’s been years now you’ve hardly had the time to grieve, mushroom.” Griselda sighed, hugging his arm gently.

Bog closed his eyes, accepting the touch but he felt drained again. “Where’s the time when you’re expected to run a kingdom?”

“You’re going to have to make time to grieve for your father and what happened or you’ll just burn yourself out, Bog.” Faob sighed as shook his head but took Bog’s free arm.

“You’re one to talk.” Bog muttered under his breath without thinking before he winced. He quickly sent a message apology through the drumming song. _“I’m sorry.”_

Faob smacked his arm lightly but couldn’t help but briefly think about his own father. It brought up a lot of mixed feelings; bitterness, hurt, sadness. Emotions he didn’t want to deal with at the moment. _“Noted.”_

“Alright, enough you two. This place won’t survive another fight between you two.” Griselda pulled away and gave the two a stern look.

“Hey, the only thing we broke was that vase.” Faob shrugged and flashed Bog a grin. Bog shook his head but couldn’t help but smile just a bit.

Just then the doors swung open and the three goblins looked up to see Stuff and Thang run in.

“Hey, BK, the workers are starting to put in all those windows for the throne room!” Stuff said as she walked up to the goblin king.

“They wanted you to be there for your opinion about how things should look.” Thang added, nearly tripping over a few pieces of amber that were scattered on the ground.

“Oh, um well.” Bog stared at them a bit dumbfounded.

“No, no we’ll handle it.” Griselda cut in before Bog could find his words. “You need your rest.”

“She’s right. I think we know you well enough to know what you like.” Faob added, herding Stuff and Thang towards the door.

Bog just stared at them and Griselda offered Bog an encouraging smile before closing the door behind her.

“Okay then…” Bog muttered, staring at the door before glancing over at his staff.

He took a deep breath and shook his head. They were right, he couldn’t go on like this allowing himself to be paralyzed by the fear of loss. It was eating away at him, clouding his judgment and focus. He was in control, not manipulated like a puppet by the memory of Shaylynn or the fire. He’ll do what it takes to rid the monsters in his head.

With that, Bog flew to the door and out of the room, determined to catch up to the others. It was part of his duty to aid with the castle’s construction so he could do this himself. His people deserved better of him and if it required him to take action to fix this then so be it.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I actually hadn't plan to write Bog crying over tea it just happened NO REGRETS I guess that's how writing goes it changes. So thanks for reading and I really appreciate to hear what you guys thought of the chapter if you guys likes it ^_^ 
> 
> I hope I can try to update at least once a month so I'll do my best to keep to that or hopefully update sooner :D thanks for your kind words and support!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Don't Mess With Me](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4989610) by [RazormusPrime](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RazormusPrime/pseuds/RazormusPrime)




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